


Dawn Peeks Through the Glass

by TheKeelhaulers



Category: Nintendo, Splatoon
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2020-06-02 07:04:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 44,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19436380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheKeelhaulers/pseuds/TheKeelhaulers
Summary: Pierce Santinez is just an inkling with a big dream, to become the next news host in Inkopolis. Alongside his best friend and fellow bandmate, Mackerel, he's been training for the Battle of the Bands contest. There's just one problem... they don't have a guitarist.But when their zapfish gets stolen, Pierce ends up finding one in an unlikely place.... The Octo Gulch, where the few remaining octarians who are still loyal to DJ Octavio live. As he gets closer to this octoling, he starts to notice something deeper leaving him there....Will Pierce be able to rock his world, or will he sink to Rock Bottom?





	1. Stolen Light

The Octo Gulch rested underneath Inkopolis Alley, only a handful of miles away from the Canyon. Unlike that place, consisting of many islands, it was on a mostly continuous path. One that only led deeper into the underground, and the darkness…. Sure, it had its share of kettles that led to different areas, but many of its key points were merely on the road down. That didn’t mean it was a clear shot, as the octopi occupying it still laid down their usual traps and weird technology. A lot of placement seemed entirely random, though. Or maybe that was the aesthetic? No one really knew, not even the octopi who put them there. To keep things a little easier, they’d at least decided to label certain areas as “districts”, with some cohesive theming. In brief terms, as it went deeper, more traps were placed. But what they were guarding at the bottom was already gone. Now, it was all pointless. 

Everything was, ever since King DJ Octavio was captured and contained by the Squidbeak Splatoon. Several octarians left when he did, and the few that remained found themselves struggling to function without a leader. Their energy seemed to get lower by the day. Considering electricity was their only way to get light down here, it was rapidly becoming an issue. The fifth and final district laid completely in shadow… And the fourth would soon share the same fate. The octolings who lived in these places had to make the risk of stealing from Inkopolis more. They knew they couldn’t survive the aftermath if any agents noticed, so they began to steal zapfish in smaller quantities. Naturally, they took special care to steer clear of the Great Zapfish as they knew what wrath would occur should they get near him. Most inklings wouldn’t even notice if they lost a zapfish or two… Right? They weren’t hurting for that power, were they? So the octolings had thought. And a day of quiet made them think their latest trip was a success… It wouldn’t be for much longer. 

A Scrapper’s car whirred through the mechanical silence. It must have been larger than normal, because there were two figures on board. The driver, an anthropomorphic salmonid, though his face remained mostly fishy, and one passenger, an inkling with several piercings. The duo were both garbed in punk attire, and seemed rather perturbed about where they were. The terrain in the Octo Gulch clearly wasn’t designed for a car like this. And they had to avoid all the traps laid down to stop intruders like themselves… Frequently, they had to swerve or make small jumps, or take another road down. The inkling scanned the area, and gave a signal to the driver that the coast was clear. They nodded at each other. 

“I can't believe you talked me into this!!” The salmonid grumbled, frantically adjusting the wheel and various levers on the contraption to keep it steady. “You know how dangerous it is down here, Pierce!!” 

“Well that's why I need your help, Mackerel!” Pierce frowned. “Look, I don't really want to be down here either, but….. The zapfish! We gotta… we gotta get it back!! And I couldn’t ask Ami because you know how she is!!” He waved his hands around as he spoke. 

“And we have to go all the way to the fourth district of the Gulch instead of taking one in the first because…?”

“Because that's where ours is, and if we take another one that's STEALING!” He pouted. “And stealing from people who don’t deserve it isn’t very punk rock!!”

Mackerel let out a deep sigh. “I shouldn't have told you I could track ours…..” he mumbled. “Ok, fine. I just hope we can get there on this… it was hard enough just getting down here, because I can’t slip through grates like you!” 

“I'm sorry, I always forget you actually have bones! And that your car is solid! Like… I don't know where our weapons go when we squish down but they sure do and-” He started, but was soon interrupted by a nasty bump in the road. Mackerel let out a small growl. 

“Pierce, buddy, you know I love your weird little tangents, but I'm trying to focus so we don't get KILLED! Can it wait a bit?!” He was gripping so hard on the steering wheel, it looked like it was going to snap in half. Considering how much the car was swerving, though… he didn't really have a choice. Pierce was quick to clamp his hands over his mouth, and settle back down into the seat. 

“All right, well I want to get there sometime today, so I'm turning on the stronger engine. Get your Nzap ready so they can't follow us.” Mackerel flicked a switch on the car, and it sped up. A dark green ink trail began to follow the duo on their journey. Pierce did his best to cover it up as they went, but even then, it wasn't with the right color. Sure, it was purple, a close match to the Octarian’s magenta ink, but…. It was only a matter of time before they would catch their attention. Every so often, they'd hit a bump, and Mackerel would let out a seemingly incoherent yell, almost certainly cussing in Salmonese. 

After a while of driving, a large beep rang through the air, and the car quickly jerked to a stop.The two took a second to take a breath from the sudden movement, hands clutched tight to their seats. Mackerel looked down at his phone, the source of the sound, and grumbled again. Pointing up to the top of the large structure they'd stopped before, he shifted his eyes to meet his friend and spoke. 

“Well, it's up there, squid. Don't think I'm gonna make it up that, so you gotta go alone.” 

Pierce gulped, and a bead of sweat trickled down his face.  
“But...but what if someone's guarding it?” He asked.

“Well, then you have to deal with them. You did bring an Nzap with you, and I know you can handle the recoil of that puny thing.” 

“It's not about the recoil! I don't want to hurt anyone!!” He looked really upset by that notion. Mackerel put a hand on his friend’s shoulder to try and help calm him down. He spoke softer than normal. 

“Pierce, I know you're big on the whole, pacifist thing, but we've passed like, 15 respawn points. Like, they're gonna be fine. I thought you cephalopods did this for fun.” 

He bit his lip. It was true, most inklings and octolings got splatted multiple times a day for fun, and nothing was wrong with them! Their weapons weren’t designed to do lasting damage. If they had a respawn point, they would be fine, but…. Pierce still hated the idea of it. It still had to hurt! But... if he didn't… well… he knew there were a lot of people in their building who really needed that power, and he wasn't sure how long the backup energy would last…. It wasn't like their part of town got any power from the Great Zapfish. That little fish was their only source of it…. And putting in an official request would only cause more trouble! This was their best bet. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Exhaling, he opened them, finding his resolve. 

“Ok. I'm going up there.” 

Mackerel smiled.  
“I know you can do it, dude.” 

Slowly but surely, Pierce ascended the “tower”. Luckily for him and his low-range weapon, the structure was built of several strange pieces, leaving plenty of footholds. He could easily stop, shoot a bit higher, and swim up in squid form, until he found another spot to rest. The zapfish’s glow soon filled his vision, and he grabbed the ledge. Cautiously, he switched back from the squid to pull himself up. 

….That was a mistake. 

He was only halfway onto the floor when he found a splattling aimed directly at him. And, worse still, he could tell it was fully charged from the sound. His breath grew quick as he looked up to see who was there. Unsurprisingly, it was an Octoling Trooper. Clad in their usual uniform, but with a small jacket placed over top and partially zipped. They remained perfectly still, only their long “hair” moved gently in the wind. Something about them seemed different than the other troopers…. Maybe it was their abnormally pale skin? Regardless, Pierce felt his heart beat faster as they spoke. 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, INKLING?!” They boomed. Their eyes were completely covered by dark glasses, but he could feel the rage in their voice alone…. 

“I-I’m here to get my zapfish back!!” He exclaimed, pulling himself to his feet, a bit surprised that he could understand the other. “And I’m… Not leaving without it!!” His hand trembled, but he raised his weapon. The octoling laughed. 

“You’re not leaving without it? HA! For such a tough looking guy, you sure are shaking! Tell you what.” They smirked, and let lose all their shots on the floor. “I’m gonna charge up again. You have until then to get outta here. But if you come anywhere NEAR the fish, or try to fire, you’re gonna get it early, got it?” 

Pierce gulped again. He may not play turf, but his sister did, so he knew plenty about weapons. And he knew that thing could easily hit him from anywhere on this platform. There wasn’t any way he could sneak around them…. And of course, his Nzap had beacons instead of bombs, not like he wanted to attack…. His only chance was to reason with them, or pray for a miracle. 

“WE HAVE A SQB!! I REPEAT, WE HAVE AN SQB APPROACHING!!! ALL TROPES TO DISTRICT 5! ALL TROPES TO DISTRICT 5!!! IT’S A CODE 4! CODE 4!!!”  
Pierce and the Octoling look at each other, stunned by the sudden announcement only one could understand. A hoard of octolings ran past the tower, calling up. 

“An SQB?! No way there’s another inkling here!! And especially not one of them-!!” They exclaimed. “No, it’s gotta be this clown right...here?” They had gestured towards where Pierce was, but he had already hidden himself in his ink. Before they had a chance to find where he had run off to, another octoling super jumped to them. 

“ALEX! COME ON!” She shouted in Octarian. “IT’S A CODE FOUR!! YKNOW, THE ONE THAT CAPTURED OUR LEADER?!” Her voice was so loud it made their eardrums sting… 

“Ow- no, look, I saw an inkling up here, and he wasn’t them! I- Are you sure it’s a code 4? I- Look, I lost sight of him for one second, he should be close-” 

They wouldn’t get to finish that thought, as the girl quickly smacked their head, dropping their glasses. A small whimper left them as they covered their eyes. She sighed. 

“Alex, I know SHE’S your roommate, but you’re NOT getting out of this. Come on. NOW.” With that, she grabbed their hand, and super jumped back to the other octolings. Pierce popped out, and walked towards the zapfish. As he grew closer, he nearly stepped on the glasses the octoling had dropped. Not wanting to break them, he picked them up, with the plan to set them back down on the zapfish stand. But first, he had to break the glass encasing it. Which he did….  
...A little too early. 

The octolings hadn’t left the area yet, and could hear the glass shattering. Looking up, they could clearly see him. Which, wasn’t ideal, to say the least. Mackerel quickly pulled up as close as he could and screamed:  
“PIERCE, JUMP!!!!” 

Pierce grabbed the zapfish and glasses tightly and jumped down into the car. As soon as he landed, he adjusted himself into the seat, and Mackerel floored it. 

“I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU JUST DID THAT PIERCE I SWEAR TO THE MOTHERSHIP YOU’RE GONNA KILL ME ONE OF THESE DAYS-” He screeched, barely pausing between words. His hands shook on the wheel, but he still carefully dodged all incoming shots and octolings heading towards them. 

“I’M SORRY!!! JUST KEEP DRIVING!!” Pierce cried back, his heart still pounding. He held a near death grip on the zapfish and glasses, and another on his chair. And he needed it, with how hard the car was jerking. Mackerel did his best to avoid any shots, especially to the wheels or his friend…. Luckily, they managed to outspeed the troopers, and eventually they gave up chase to pursue the more pressing emergency. Even with that, they didn’t breathe until they safely made it to the first district, and saw the manhole to return to Inkopolis. Once again, he scanned the area, and when it looked clear, he ran and moved the cover over. Mackerel drove up into it….

And just like that, they had managed to escape the Gulch. Pierce flopped face down onto the ground. Mackerel leaned into the steering wheel and screeched something in Salmonese.They both remained like this for an uncomfortable amount of time. Everyone in Inkopolis Alley was used to them by this point so no one really commented on this.

“Ok, let’s actually return the zapfish we NEARLY DIED getting,” Mackerel groaned.

“Right, let’s go-” Without thinking, Pierce stuck the glasses he’d picked up in his pocket, and the duo headed back home.


	2. Fading Melody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pierce, realizing he'd stolen those glasses, finds himself in quite a slump. Mackerel does his best to cheer his friend up, when he discovers something suspicious about them...

A few streets down from the famed Inkopolis Plaza lay a formerly sleepy place called Inkopolis Alley. Now, it seemed like it got bigger every day. Sure, Turf Wars ran here, but most major players stuck to the Plaza. No, there was another group who occupied these streets. Here, rumors were rampant that the current hosts were about to quit, and they'd get new ones… Speculation said that Inkopolis Alley would be a great spot to move to, and an edgier team might get the job. Bands came in and out, trying to get attention to perhaps secure a placement. That's why Pierce was here, after all. He wanted that spot more than anything, and yet… None of that really mattered to him right now. Opposite to his usual demeanor, he found himself sulking in his room. 

As you would probably expect from someone who was a punk musician, his room laid covered in music paraphernalia. Almost every inch of the wall was occupied by a band poster or framed CD. A cork board held many old concert tickets and photos, mostly of him and Mackerel. Half the room seemed completely clean, all tucked nicely into the drawers or displayed on top, and the other looked like a tornado hit. A keyboard was shoved into one corner, and the chair in front had a leather jacket thrown on top. Sheet music rested all over both of these. But his desk was the worst offender. A halfway finished project was left, still being stitched by the sewing machine resting in the middle. Loose pins, empty bobbins, and fabric scraps were everywhere, some even spilling onto the floor. On top, trying to cover the mess, laid a folder…. And several loose pattern pieces that wouldn't fit in it. A used cup was left, as well. 

His bed was like a perfect mix of the two sides, sheets perfectly tucked in, comforter falling off. Fitting, as it marked the center of the room. A well loved stuffed toy laid amongst the pillows, a few of which were also hanging off the side. Here Pierce was slumped, aimlessly fiddling with those pair of Octarian glasses he'd found the day prior. His trance would be broken by the large SLAM of his bedroom door opening. 

“Dude! You're not just gonna lay here ALL DAY, are you?!” Mackerel exclaimed, annoyed as he wheeled his chair closer to the bed. “You're off work! We should be practicing for the contest!” He gestured towards a flyer Pierce had hung up, next to one of many Squid Sister posters. 

Battle of the Bands. Right, it was coming up soon. Inkopolis Alley’s officers had noticed the huge influx of indie bands, and decided to host a friendly competition for charity. But what would the winner get? A small trophy, bragging rights, and… Supposedly, a bunch of already established and popular bands were coming, looking for opening acts. It seemed like the winner would also get that prize. This would be a great start for Pierce’s little band, but…. 

“Mackerel, we still don't have a guitar player! Drums and vocals just aren't enough, and besides… I've got a lot on my mind today… I'm just not feeling the rock…” He sighed, rolling over. Even though he couldn't see him, he knew the exact annoyed face Mackerel was making. 

“You aren't still upset about the glasses right.” 

“MACKEREL, I STOLE THEM!!! I’M A CRIMINAL!!” He sobbed. “HOW ARE WE GONNA GET THE JOB IF I'M A WANTED CRIMINAL?!?! WHAT IF I LOSE MY DAY JOB?! YOU DON'T HAVE ONE!! WE’D LOSE OUR APARTMENT!” 

“Pierce!! Those octarians have like, a billion of those things laying around! We'd find them all over the Smokeyard after they left…” He shook his head, realizing now wasn't the time. Making sure to speak calmer, he continued, “Look, this isn't a big deal at all, you need to relax. I'm sure that Octoling has already gotten a new set and forgot all about those. And, ugh- that pair must be defective ANYWAY, it's making this horrible noise.” 

“What noise….?” 

“That horrible tingy sound? Dude. How can you not hear that.” Mackerel sighed, picking them up and holding them to his face. “At least you didn’t put them on, I can't imagine what they'd do to your vision if they're doing that to your ears.” With that, he put them on his lap. “I'm gonna see if I can't make them stop making that sound, dude. You should get up. I'll even let you blast your, ugh, Squid Sisters if it'll cheer you up.”   
Pierce jumped out of bed in an instant. 

“You mean it?! All right!! I'll be ready in a bit!!” He smiled, frantically running around to grab his clothes. “Maybe we can practice our remix!!” 

“Your remix. I'm just helping you with backing tracks, dude.” Mackerel grinned, happy his plan worked. Pierce was so rarely upset, it always hurt to see him down like that. “I'll get my drums set up for ya. Don't forget your mic.” 

“Right!!” He exclaimed, grabbing it and shaking it for emphasis. “I'll see you in a bit-please shut the door when you leave!!” 

“Oh, you inklings and your ‘shut the door’ thing…” Mackerel chuckled, but he did as his friend requested. The beats of Calamari Inkantation filled the air before he could even wheel himself down the hallway. How a squid who loved punk rock as much as Pierce did could have this as their favorite song, he'd never know…. But at least he was happy. And he knew their octoling neighbors wouldn't mind. He looked at the sunglasses and sighed. 

“I hope he forgets about these….” he mumbled. 

\-----------

Pierce and Mackerel wrapped up band practice. They didn't seem to get much done, but it was fun nevertheless. That tended to be how it went most times… Mackerel quickly downed a whole water bottle as Pierce started putting their music sheets away, letting out a small sigh. ….Which wasn't how it usually went. 

“Dude, is something up?” 

“Huh? Oh, no, I'm great!” He smiled, but it twitched a bit. Mackerel raised an eyebrow. “Ok, so maybe I'm a little worried… it's about the Battle of the Bands. It's, in two months, and we still don't have a guitar player….” His hand gripped tighter on the folder of sheet music. “We need another instrument, and I… I don't think I'm gonna figure that out anytime soon. Like, sure, I can kinda work a keyboard, but I don't think that's gonna be...aggressive enough. Not like I could sing and play at the same time anyway ...”

“Yeah, but that's only because you're a killer singer, and that's all you need to do!” Mackerel encouraged, knowing how much Pierce struggled with his attention span. It was true, it would be near impossible for him to focus on both things at once… He'd tried to play the keyboard and sing at the same time before, and he kept tripping over one or the other. Maybe with enough practice he could get it down, sure, but considering this would be their first live performance… Mackerel didn't want to put that kind of pressure on him. “Plus, you gotta do your sick dance moves. Since I, can't.” 

“Yeah, you're right!! Well, maybe I'm not that good, but- I gotta focus on what's important!!” Pierce clenched his fists, seemingly regaining his determination, but he quickly lowered them, continuing. “But- we still need another player. Should we like, host auditions or something?” 

“Sounds good to me, I can make some flyers or something while you're stuck at work tomorrow. There's gotta be some solo player around here.” 

“Yeah!! That'd be great!! Oh, this is so exciting!! We're gonna get another band mate!! I hope they're cool!!” His eyes sparkled with that excitement as he jumped around. “Oh man, The Keelhaulers aren't just gonna be a duo anymore!! We're gonna be a trio!! The first trio new hosts, ever!!!” 

Mackerel didn't have the heart to tell him that them adding another member was probably going to shoot that plan in the foot. Or how unlikely it would be for them to get it with even the two of them, considering what he was….. 

Regardless of all that, they finished putting away their band equipment and planned to go out for dinner. It wasn't often they got to, with how much Pierce had work and how much they were practicing. Surely, having to host auditions was also going to severely cut back their time, so tonight was the perfect night to do it. There was a pizza place close enough that Mackerel could make it in just his chair. Considering it wasn't exactly dinner time, they got seated pretty quickly and ordered their usual. As the waited at their table, they continued to talk about the upcoming contest. 

“So, I asked, and my boss said I can use my work sewing machine to make our costumes, as long as I use my own material!! Isn't that great?!” 

“Yeah, considering he works you to the bone, that's the least he can do.” 

“What's that supposed to mean? You know I don't understand your bone metaphors...” 

“Never mind. That's great, dude. Your machine is breaking down, fast. I know you had to drop your last project because the thread got so jammed… I mean, I could try to fix it for you, but… y'know. It's great that you have a backup. Speaking of, how uniform were you planning on making them? We might need to wait till we get our third person if you want them super similar.” 

Uniform. Why did that word raise a sense of unease in Pierce? Had something happened with his uniform recently? No, he couldn't recall messing it up… what was it, then? He glanced around, trying to remember, when his eyes locked onto a pair of glasses. Sunglasses. ...He stole a pair of sunglasses. He stole a pair of sunglasses!!! Even if Mackerel said it'd be fine, he couldn't... He couldn't just keep them!! No… he had to give them back. It was the right thing to do. But….. 

“Uh, dude, you ok? You're spacing out again.” 

Mackerel was never going to go back down there again with him… and if he knew he was gonna try going down there alone, he'd never let him… He swallowed. He had to make something up, and quick. 

“Oh, yeah! I was just thinking, maybe I could give Ami those glasses we found? She's always losing hers dodge rolling.” 

“Yeah, sounds solid. You gonna run there after work tomorrow?” 

“Yeah… yeah that'd work!! I get off earlier tomorrow so I should have time to get there and back…. I guess I'll grab ‘em when we get back home and bring them with me to save time.” He was trying to think how long it took for them to get to that tower, but... on foot, it'd probably take longer. But, he could leave a beacon at the start, which would save time… His eyes bounced back and forth as he tried to think. Mackerel gave him a quizzical expression. 

“You seem...weirdly focused on this, but ok. Tell her I said hi when you do.” 

With that, their food arrived, so they ate and headed home. Pierce packed his bag for work, slipping in the sunglasses and his Nzap alongside all his usual items. He took a deep breath. He could do this. He had to do this. 

It was the punk rock thing to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again! Thank you for reading chapter 2! Like I said last chapter, I just need to spruce up chapter 3 and then it should be ready to go! 
> 
> Writing for Pierce is really fun because he's so dramatic... I hope you enjoyed reading! See you real soon for more! 
> 
> \- Bee <3


	3. Clouds Parting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pierce goes back to the Octo Gulch to return the glasses, when he makes an important discovery.

Another day flickered by at the Annaki studio. Sewing the same shirts over and over would get dull on a normal day, but today especially Pierce struggled to stay focused. His mind kept wandering to what he had to do when he left here…. Going back to the Octo Gulch would be a serious undertaking, but he had to do it. The needles and pins kept pricking him as he continued to space out. He tried his best to snap out of it, because if he didn't…   
“Pierce, living up to your name, aren't you?” 

He shuddered, thankfully hidden somewhat by the face mask he wore to hide his mouth piercings. That joke was really old, but his boss made it every time he caught him messing up…. Despite his troubles focusing, and his interesting fashion choices, he really was a good employee. He was on time, got his work done before he left, and frequently covered for his coworkers, even if they rarely did the same for him. This job wasn't exactly fun, but he was good at it, and it paid well enough. 

The work day was soon over. Usually he would stay around to chat, but he really had to get to the Gulch before it got any later. He waved goodbye to everyone, and basically bolted out the door. Not pausing a second, he sprinted towards the manhole, pulling off his face mask as he did. As soon as he reached it, he stopped. A twinge of fear passed over him. It'd probably be for the best if he called his sister before doing this, just in case. 

They talked for a while, not about much of anything. But, he made sure to ask her to cover for him if Mackerel asked where he was, just in case he took a long time. Ami seemed super confused by this request, but agreed to it anyway. Her brother wasn't one to cause real trouble, after all. Soon enough, she got another call from one of her teammates, and had to go. 

Pierce clicked the phone off and slipped it back into his bag, grabbing his Nzap. A deep breath escaped his lips as he dove down in the Gulch. This would probably be his last chance to do so, after all. The only thing he could afford to pause for was finding a clever spot to hide his beacon. There was a bush rather close, so he tossed it behind that and broke off into a sprint. He wasn't exactly an athletic type, but he kept a solid pace, making sure to hide if he saw anyone. 

“Fourth district, fourth district, large tower.” He mumbled to himself, looking for anything to guide him. Even though he had just been here a few days ago, it was such a strange area, he couldn't figure much out. It really didn't help that he couldn't read any of the signs he did see...He only vaguely remembered them going south quite a bit, so he kept on in that direction. Any time he saw an octoling, he'd hide, which was simpler without the car… Most of the traps were easier to avoid since he could swim in his own ink and do things like climb walls and use grind rails. Though he did still have to go down some side routes to account for the guards…. Even as he felt himself wearing out, he kept moving when he could. The one thing that caused him to stop voluntarily was a sign with a symbol that looked almost like a 4. He found a safe place, and took a look around. 

Sure enough, the tower filled his vision, and he grinned from ear to ear… Until he remembered he'd still have to climb it. That smile was quickly replaced by a tired looking frown.   
“It's not gonna climb himself….” He sighed. 

His plan had been to sneak up the back, throw the glasses towards the octoling, and jump away before anything happened. Though as he climbed, he heard the strangest thing. No, it couldn't have been... But, there was no mistaking it! 

“YOU’RE PLAYING SEASICK!!! I LOVE THAT SONG!!!” Pierce exclaimed enthusiastically as he pulled himself up. “I KNOW ALL THE WORDS!!” 

A deadly silence filled the air. It was only then that he realized something: he was only hearing the guitar part of that song. Because… the octoling was playing it. They jumped up, nearly dropping their instrument in shock, and began yelling something Pierce didn't understand. When they turned and saw his dumbfounded expression, they spat out something else before switching to Inklish.

“W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE AGAIN, PUNK?!” 

“No way…. you were playing that?!” He gasped, clapping his hands against his face. Any sense of danger he felt was completely replaced with joy. “That was…. so good!!!! You're really good!!” The octoling groaned. 

“Well, yes, but you-” 

“And your guitar is so cool!! It even looks like an octopus!! Woah! Are you in a band??? I'm in one!! Well, we're still working on the whole band thing, but I've started writing songs and I have this whole plan and-” Pierce was cut off by the whirring of a charged splatting, aimed at him yet again. 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” Their breath was really unsteady, and they shook slightly. “YOU ALREADY TOOK MY ZAPFISH, WHAT ELSE COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT?!” 

“Oh!” It was only then he remembered why he'd come back here… And that this guy considered him an enemy. He put his arms up. “N-no, I'm not here to take anything! I- I have something of yours!!” 

He slowly reached into his bag as the octoling watched attentively. As soon as they saw the glasses, they completely dropped charge, and ran towards Pierce. They tore them right out of his hands, and yanked their current pair off. For just a moment, Pierce could see their bright red eyes and birthmark right by their nose before they were once again covered. Their breath steadied some as they sighed with relief. 

“I can't believe you took these…. they're a super rare prescription, but…” 

“I'm so sorry, it was an accident, er….” It was then that he realized he never caught their name. He thought he remembered someone addressing them, but in the panic of the moment, he couldn't really understand what they had said…  
“Maybe I should introduce myself!! I'm Pierce!” A hand was extended, but was only met with a blank face. He looked nervously at the other. “A-and you are?” 

“It's Lex.” The octoling spat. “Now get out of here.” 

“Woah, that's a cool name!! Is it short for anything?” 

“It- it's…” They looked down at the ground for a moment before turning back up with a proud smile, “it’s short for Alexander! But- that doesn't matter! Look, I'm being NICE by not attacking you since you returned my glasses, but you inklings still aren't welcomed here!!” 

“Oh! I like that! Anyway! I wanted to ask you something real fast, if that's ok!!” 

At this point, Lex couldn't tell if this guy was just playing dumb, or if he really didn't grasp that he was in danger. But, he figured it couldn't hurt to play along for just a bit. It wasn't like he had anything better to do. He could shoot at any time.   
“Sure.” 

“Well, me and Mackerel, my best friend and fellow bandmate, are looking for a guitar player!! And it'd probably be super helpful if we had some sheet music for them to play from! I hadn't even thought about it until now and I'm worried I'm gonna forget by the time I get home, so… Do you mind if I snap a pic of yours really fast??” 

“I don't...I don't have any sheet music.” 

“You don't-? Oh! You must've left it at home. That's ok!!” 

“NO, I mean, I don't have any sheet music! Like, at all!” Pierce looked flabbergasted. 

“You mean- you learned that, by ear?! That's- that's so impressive!! You're really good!!” His eyes sparkled in sheer amazement. 

“I mean, I don't really have a choice… it's not like I can access any of it. I’m a soldier, not a musician-” Lex looked down sadly for a moment, before shaking himself out of it. What was he thinking?! An Inkling was standing right in front of him!! “But that- that doesn't matter! You! You have to get out!!” His tone quickly shifted back to his original aggression. Pierce stepped back, but he noticed the other wasn't charging his weapon. 

“All right, I guess I better be getting home. It was great talking to you, Lex!” He smiled earnestly. For some reason, this caused Lex to step back, as he clearly lost his composure. 

“J-just get out of here…...Pierce.” 

And with that, Pierce slid back down the tower. He pulled up his phone to jump back to the beacon he had placed earlier, when he remembered he could drop two…. Just as he spotted another nearby bush. 

Well, it couldn't hurt, could it?


	4. Blinding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When The Keelhaulers's auditions wind up going south, Pierce decides to take a risk... And along the way, discovers something very strange.

A week had passed since Pierce’s last trip to the Octo Gulch. It had been a rather dull one, as he had work almost every day. Basically any time he was off, he was planning the costumes or working on song lyrics. Today in particular had been a long day for him, with all the extra assignments placed on him. He let out a sigh before he pushed open the door to his apartment, flopping down on the couch as soon as he entered. 

“Well dude, I got bad news. Auditions have been a total bust.” Mackerel griped as he wheeled closer, throwing down one of his flyers for emphasis. “Most of ‘em could barely play, and the few that could…. Well. We didn’t get along.” 

Pierce frowned. It was only about 7 weeks before the contest, so they wouldn’t have time to train anyone. And, well, it had to be someone they agreed with… That likely wouldn’t be an issue with himself, but Mackerel…. Well.. It could very easily be one, to say the least. 

“Ugh, if only we knew someone would could play, right?” He continued. “But the only dude we know with a guitar is Sid and like, I’ve never seen him play it or even heard him talk about playing it. Like, ever. Besides, he's too busy being in your sister’s turf war team… And, well I guess also he-who-shall-not-be-named. But we are NOT asking him.”

“Haha, yeah, no we’re not asking Jason… Too bad we don’t know anyone else…” 

But, Pierce did know someone else who could play. Someone who could play extremely well, at that. He glanced down to his phone, and noticed the beacon he’d placed was still there. A cold bead of sweat trickled down his cheek. There was no way. Even if they needed someone, he couldn’t mention that he went back! And even if he did… Would they even be able to convince him? No, it was impossible, he thought, and yet… It was like Something was pushing him to try. 

“Actually, wait, I think I might know somebody who we could ask…” The words hardly came out, but somehow he was heard. Mackerel raised an eyebrow. 

“Really? Who? Dude, if you know someone, why are we even doing this?”

“Um… You probably don’t know him… His name is Lex. He’s an octoling… I uh, saw him playing on the way to visit Ami the other day. But, I don’t think he lives around here.” Despite his best efforts, Pierce couldn’t stop himself from giving details. He felt his face getting warmer by the second. “So I don’t think, uh, it’s gonna work out but, um, it can’t hurt to ask, right??” 

Mackerel stared blankly at his friend. It wasn’t like him to meet someone and not tell him…. And it was even less like him to notice the difference between an inkling and an octoling…. But, considering how flushed he was getting… He decided not to push it. For now.   
“Sure, man. Why don’t you try to catch him on your way back tomorrow?” 

“Are you sure? I might get back super late again if I can’t find him-!” Pierce exclaimed, jumping up and blushing even harder. 

“Yeah, it’s good. I mean, if this dude can play, it’s worth at least trying.” 

“Yeah… yeah, you’re right!!! I gotta try my best!!!” He clenched his fists together, eyes sparkling. “Oh, he’s really good!! He was playing Seasick!! Without sheet music! He said he didn't have any, so he learned it all by ear!! How cool is that!” 

That was more like him, Mackerel thought with a smile. 

\------------------------

Pierce’s shift at work the next day flew by. He somehow managed to go all day without pricking himself or making any real mistakes, despite how little he was paying attention. All he could think about was going back to the Gulch, again. A warmness filled him as he stepped out the studio doors and off to the manhole. This time, he didn't even stop to take a breath before diving into it. Knowing the two had common ground gave him a sense of security, after all. And Lex hadn’t even tried to attack him after he gave him his glasses back! Octolings in the Gulch weren’t as bad as he was told, after all. They just needed some kindness, that was all. He hid his beacon behind the same bush, and quickly jumped to his other with a huge smile. As soon as he landed, he could hear Kinetosis playing! He couldn't believe Lex had said he wasn't a musician, he was way too humble! The climb up felt like nothing this time. 

“Hi again Lex!!” He cheered as he reached the top. “Long time no see, huh?” 

Lex jumped, abruptly stopping his song.   
“W-what are you doing here?!”   
He still yelled, but it seemed... softer than last time. He didn't reach for his weapon immediately. Pierce couldn't help but keep his big smile. 

“Well, I was heading back from work, and I realized I haven't visited in a few days, so I thought I'd stop by!” He said warmly, taking a few steps closer to the other. “How have you been doing?” 

Lex leaned down to grab his splattling, but sighed and decided against it. Which felt...wrong, somehow, but there was no way this guy meant harm. And his attempts to scare him off last time didn't really work… So, he figured it'd be fine to talk to him for a minute. 

“I'm….fine, I guess?” A weird feeling sank in his stomach, though he couldn't pin down why. Was it just because this guy was an inkling? 

“Oh, I'm glad you're doing ok! OH! And you got a new zapfish, that's great!! I'm sure the extra light helps you play!” 

“Yeah.” Only silence followed. Pierce smiled awkwardly, realizing the other wasn't really much of a talker. He'd have to keep the conversation going somehow if they were gonna get anywhere… As he adjusted his bag, he remembered he had something to talk about. 

“Oh, speaking of playing! I brought you something!!” With that, he pulled out a folder, and held it out to the other. When he was met with only a blank stare, he shook it for emphasis. And when that didn't work, he continued, “For you!”   
Lex squinted at it, determining it was so flat, only paper could be inside. So he took it, and flipped through the contents. His eyes widened. 

“Sheet music…?” 

“Yeah!! You said you didn't have any! So...I wanted to give you some!! I don't really know what stuff you like other than Diss-Pair, so I did them, Squid Squad, Wet Floor, and Chirpy Chips, since they all have clear guitar bits!! But, if you tell me who you like, I can come back with more!” 

“Smooth move, giving an octoling music from a band called Squid Squad. Well, Diss-Pair is just Squid Squad, but better, so I guess I can't be mad about it.” He said with a chuckle, as the other beamed with joy. “Ikkan was always too good for those guys, I'm glad he found a partner who respects his musical gift.” As he flicked through the papers, he noticed a strange one, and pulled it out. Squinting, he tried to read it. “A flyer for Au...Au….Auditions…?” 

“OH!” Pierce realized now was his chance to ask. But, he didn't want to be too bold and scare him off.. “Lex, I was wanting to ask… You're like, super good, have you ever thought about being in a band?” 

“Being in a band…? No, I guess not…. When I was up to be drafted, I wanted to get a spot on making music for King Octavio to remix, but...I got a spot on the field instead. I-I'm surprised they even let me keep the guitar, honestly.” 

“Oh…So I guess you figured you couldn't after that? Well, that Octavio dude was dead wrong! You're fantastic! Don't let him tell you what to do!!” 

He blinked. ‘Don't let him tell you what to do…?’ What kind of… what kind of statement was that? And why did it make him feel so...strange? A small ache began to form in his head.   
“I..I don't know. I just never thought to think about it past that I guess.” He muttered. 

“You never…. thought to think about it?” It was Pierce’s turn to be confused by the other’s words. “But, you have such a gift and love of music… Has being in a band really never occurred to you before? Like, not even in a ‘oh, that'll never happen’ kinda way…?” 

Lex's breath grew fast as his head pounded harder. It was true, he really had never thought about it before, though he didn't know why. He wondered how that could be as the world seemed to start spinning. Something was definitely wrong here. He quickly removed his glasses and placed a hand over his eyes, trying to make it stop, when he noticed a pull on his other one. 

“Lex, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overwhelm you! I-I…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked so many questions!” 

His whole face flushed as he realized Pierce was holding his hand. Quick breath grew even faster, and now his heart was racing, too. 

“N-no, you didn't… I… I don't know what's wrong here… I feel… weird….” He gasped. “I..I need to sit down….” With some help, he was able to get seated on the ground, and he pulled his glasses back on. They took a minute to sit in silence as Lex started to steady his breathing. 

“...Are...are you ok?” Pierce asked, his tone full of concern. 

“I...I don't know...something is definitely wrong...My head is suddenly killing me…I don't usually get headaches, unless I'm surrounded by super bright lights, and it's not that bright here...” 

“Oh no- D-do you think it's your glasses? Um, Mackerel, my friend, he uh...said they were making some kind of weird noise, so he pulled something out of them…” Even with his eyes covered, he could tell Lex was making a confused face. He didn't really know how to explain this, though….   
“He- He said it was really high pitch and it was giving him a headache. So we thought they were like, broken… But… Um… Do you…. do you think that messed with your prescription, somehow?” 

“My glasses...were making noises?” 

“Yeah, Mackerel has super good hearing and he said he heard some kind of...sound. I-guess maybe they broke when you dropped them? O-Or maybe I broke them, if so I'm really sorry…” He looked down, feeling guilty. “I- I don't know much about tech stuff, but he said it was probably some light mechanic malfunctioning. A-And he said he couldn't fix it, so he just…..took the thing out.” 

Lex blinked, utterly lost. Why on earth would sunglasses make noise? Even if they were broken… that didn't make any sense to him. There was no reason for them to have anything that could even make sound in them, right? The lights in the glasses were still working, too… What could this guy have taken out if the lights still worked? And he had checked, his prescription was fine. So, why did his head suddenly start pounding? Noises rarely bothered him, so it couldn't have been Pierce’s fault, even if he was rather loud…

“No, they're definitely working right, but…”

“That's….really strange… Still, I'm sure I wasn't helping by prying so much… I'm sorry, Lex… I hope we didn't ruin your glasses, either...”

“No, I'm…. I'm glad we talked. It's not your fault. I'm sure I'd be worse off if you didn't take that thing out.” He turned to the other, and grabbed his hand. “Really. I'm probably just tired, or something. I get to go home soon, so I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. I-I'll just lay down or something until my shift ends, I guess.” 

“Ok.. Can I come back tomorrow to see if you're doing better?”   
He blushed harder, and his head pounded a bit harder, too. He knew he shouldn't allow it, but... he wanted to see him again. And clearly, this guy had no malicious intent… It couldn't hurt. If the need was there, he knew he could stop him. So...he replied. 

“Sure… Tell you what. You keep talking about bands but I haven't heard you play. Why don't you bring some of your stuff with you, and we can jam?” Pierce beamed from ear to ear. Lex couldn't help but smile back. 

“Ok!! Well, I'll head out for now, but I'll bring my music! Maybe we can even play one of the songs I've written!!” 

“Sounds good! See you tomorrow around this time then?” 

“Yeah!! Ok, bye Lex!” He stood up. “I hope your head feels better!!” And with that, he slid back down the tower and super-jumped home. Lex waved him off, and then looked at his sunglasses again.   
Something was wrong with these, and he was gonna get to the bottom of it.


	5. Dark Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex investigates his mysterious headache and comes to a distrubing conclusion. 
> 
> (Going to try and update on Wednesday and Saturday's!)

Lex slumped into his apartment with a long sigh as he flicked on the light. It was a small place, sure, but it was structurally sound, and far away from the entrance to Inkopolis. The main downside was it being in a populated area, making it rarely quiet since soldiers came in and out. The place wasn't great, but it was better than most. At least they had lighting and some amenities… It would seem rooming with an Elite Octoling had some benefits. They got rations faster than regular soldiers, and even had an oven to cook them! Sure, it broke or spewed ink all the time…. but when it worked it was nice. Besides, he had his own bed with a decent blanket, and that was really all he cared about. His headache kept dying down and coming back, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep it off. But, he knew he had something to take care of. 

He glanced up at the clock, and sighed with relief. There was still time left before his roommate would get back. He set his guitar and splattling down in their usual spots, and walked to the dresser to find his spare shades. If they were anywhere, they'd be in the top drawer, so he flicked through it. Soon enough, they were in his hands, held up to his ear. 

“They're making noises, huh?” He thought. “I sure don't hear anything…..”   
He slid his current pair off to get a better look. No, they looked nearly identical…The only difference was the prescription made his pair much darker. Well, and they had slightly different glass to account for his nearsightedness. Even the inside looked the same… and they both didn't sound like anything. He didn't see anything missing, either. He sighed. Was Pierce lying to him about the sound, or something? No, that didn't seem like something he'd do…. It must've been a weird bug. They were a pretty old pair…. He wouldn't lie, he was too sw-   
Ouch! 

Lex's head started pounding again. Why? Why was this happening? He paused to try and think what started this. He was just talking to Pierce. No… he wasn't even talking, he was just...thinking. Thinking about him, and what he said…. What did he say….? Finally, he remembered the words that initiated it. 

“Don't let him tell you what to do”, that phrase echoed through his head, making it ache more by the second. Words so simple, yet they were causing him such pain… Why was that? Why...what did that even mean? Don't let...King Octavio tell him what to do? But, he was their leader. He told everyone what to do. That's his job! Did Pierce not know that? Did he not get told what to do, constantly? He said he has a job….. and didn't their idols control them with those splatfests? No, Pierce seemed to do whatever he wanted… He was making his own band, and coming down here on his own accord…. Right? Lex's brain started racing so hard, he had to sit down. It was only then that he had a scary thought. 

He'd never thought this hard about anything before, or at least, not in a long time. Ever since he got rejected from the musician position and started being a soldier, he'd felt like he knew what to do…and that was fight. Sure, he had interests, but he never felt like he do anything active with them. He never felt strongly about anything, except his job. But... thinking on it, now… He didn't really like fighting. He didn't even want to be a soldier, at all. He liked music. So, why did he never think about it? Why did he feel like...he couldn't think about it? His eyes grew wide as he realized. 

Him wanting to be a musician conflicted with what Octavio wanted from him, so he wasn't allowed to think about it. His abject horror at this realization was cut short by a voice calling out to him. 

“Alex, honey, are you feeling ok?” He immediately recognized it to be from his roommate, Emmy. Looking up, he saw her standing over him with a hand on his shoulder, looking awfully concerned. “You're looking paler than usual, and….your eyes are really wide…. did something happen?” 

His heart sunk. He didn't know to explain how he came to the conclusion he'd reached without outing himself for talking to an inkling. And Emmy…. Despite her soft appearance, with the pigtails and frilly skirts and everything, she was known for having terrible mood swings and aggression issues. And the thing that tended to start that was inklings… He shuddered to think what she'd do if she found out about Pierce. Even if it was just because of the goggles she wore… He couldn't risk saying anything. He usually didn't tell her more than she needed to know, anyways… 

“I-I'm….I'm feeling kinda nauseous…My head is spinning... I think something I ate was bad, or something.” 

“Oh, you poor girl! Do you need something for it?” Right. He still wasn't out to her… Well, the only person he was out to was….Pierce…. His face flushed a bit as he thought of him. He coughed out of it. Now wasn't the time! 

“Nah, I think I'm just gonna lay down… that usually helps.” 

“Alex, you sleep more than anyone I know- huh?” She noticed that his drawer was wide open, and both his shades were out. “Why'd you get out your spare pair? I thought you said you found your old glasses.” 

“O-oh I did! But uh, when my head started hurting, I thought I might've grabbed the wrong pair. So I was checking… But I did have on the right pair. I-I guess I must've ate something or didn't get enough sleep…or....” He trailed off. Emmy was giving him a quizzical face, which made him nervous. She turned around, and started rummaging through the drawer. A pair of worn out pajamas were soon thrown his way. 

“Well, I guess you really are tired, if you didn't think to change!” She giggled. “Once you're done, I'll turn the light off in here. I can do my stuff in the other room, ok? Or do you want me to keep it on for you?” 

“Nah, turn it off… Thanks Emmy.” He quickly got changed, and laid down. She whispered goodnight as she turned off the light and headed out. For once in his life, he didn't immediately fall asleep. 

Lex shifted around awkwardly in bed, realizing he was actually super hungry.. But that wasn't unusual for him. He went to bed hungry all the time, considering how little resources were down here. No, the thing haunting him was his own thoughts. Was he really being controlled? Did… Did Pierce’s friend remove the thing that was doing it from his glasses, and that's why he'd felt so….weird since he got them back?? That must have been the case, as he couldn't think of anything else. Even before he'd said anything, he had started wanting to play more… Sure, a spot opened up for a musician, which let him justify bringing his guitar to work that one day… but once he started wearing his old pair again, it just felt….different, somehow. Like he was...enjoying it, like he did before he was a soldier… 

Octavio was always insistent about how all military must wear the glasses or goggles… Even though he was gone, everyone still wore theirs, in honor of him. ‘And that's why everyone still did what he would've wanted…’ Lex shuddered. This was super messed up. But what could he really do about it? Would anyone even believe him? He didn't have any concrete proof…. And he didn't even know how to disable them! 

Just as he felt his mind racing, he thought about Pierce again. About how they were gonna play together tomorrow… It made him feel... happy? Calm? Warm? He wasn't really sure, but it did stop his sense of dread, at least. ‘It's going to be great’, he thought as he started drifting. ‘Even if he's not good, I get to see him again…That's all that I….’ 

That thought would never be finished, as Lex had fallen asleep.


	6. Opening Chord

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex and Pierce play music together for the first time.

Pierce entered his apartment that night with a huge grin on his face. Mackerel wheeled over to meet him, a tad confused. 

“I'm...I'm guessing you were talking to that guitar guy, and it went well?” 

“Yeah!! He said tomorrow we should try playing together!! I'm gonna bring some of my songs I've written!! I hope he thinks they're good!!” He was nearly jumping up and down with excitement. “He was way more open today than last time, too!!”

“Well, that's good. Why don't I come with you so we can all play together?”

Pierce gulped. He knew how upset Mackerel would be if he knew where he'd been going… The Octo Gulch really was a dangerous place, and most of the octarians down there were really mean, but.. Lex was different, he could tell. And he knew he could convince his friend of that, but… Not yet. Saying he was an octoling was easy, saying where he was wasn't….

“Oh, uh...Well, he doesn't really live in a super accessible area for you…Plus it's kinda far...I don't know if I could make it back here after work and then there before it got too dark.” 

“Ok. Why don't you bring him here, then?” 

“Umm…..Ah….L-look, I didn't….” He hung his head low. “I didn't actually remember to ask him about the band… I'm sorry….We were talking about other stuff...” 

Mackerel squinted. Pierce was really aware of his memory and attention issues. It wasn't like him to not just admit to it right away. And where could this dude even live that wasn't accessible to him that was also on the way from Pierce’s work and Ami’s house? He shook his head. Maybe he was just hanging out away from his place, and he really did live further away. That wasn't the real issue here. 

“Dude… Do you just not want me to see this guy?” 

“What!! No, of course I do! I just… I… I just think…. he's kinda…. um….not exactly shy, but…” Pierce was completely flushed, struggling with his words. “Kinda like a loner type? I-I don't think he has many friends… And I...I think you might be a little, intimidating? I don't..I don't think I mentioned you were a salmonid. I...I don't want to stress him out...” 

“Yeah, guess that's fair.” Mackerel sighed. “Will you try to talk to him about it tomorrow, dude? If this Lex guy is gonna be in our band, he kinda needs to know about it and also meet me.” 

“Right!! I'll ask!” Pierce smiled, even though he realized he'd have to make up another excuse tomorrow for why they couldn't meet. He still wasn't even sure if Lex was interested in this, at all… But he was going to try! His determination was quickly cut down by a teasing remark from Mackerel: 

“You sure there's not some other reason you haven't introduced us yet? Like… do you… Like him~?”  
\-----------------

Lex kept a sharp eye at the digital sky, waiting for ‘sundown’. It wasn't long after that when Pierce had gotten here the past two times. He found it strange that he was waiting so eagerly for an inkling to come, and not because he wanted someone to fight. There was no way he could've even thought of being in this situation, but… It wasn't like he could really think of much before him. A cold chill washed over him, and he pulled his jacket closer. Just thinking about how little control he had over his life scared him. But, a familiar voice filled the air, and he immediately felt better. 

“Hi!! I brought my stuff!!” Pierce exclaimed, as he struggled to reach the top. Lex leaned over to give him hand, and helped pull him up. “A-Are you feeling better, Lex? How's your head?”

“Hey, Pierce. I'm doing better, yeah.” Even though his heart was racing, he wanted to play it cool. “You brought your stuff, so I guess you still want to play together?”

“Oh, I'm so glad! And, yes! Hang on a second…” Pierce flipped through a small notebook attentively. “Where is… AHA!!” He stopped on a page, and held it out for the other to see.  
“Um.. I wanted to ask if we could play something I wrote!!” 

“You...wrote your own song?” 

“Yeah! I want to make my own band, so I figured we need our own songs!! The contest also requires original music, so…! I'm not sure how good the guitar part is, though… I'm just a singer, and Mackerel plays the drums so that's kinda out of our elements! But, I..I'd be so honored if you could play it!!” 

Lex's face flushed completely. ‘He...He'd be honored to have ME play it? He thinks that highly of me?’ For some reason, that made him…..really happy. He grabbed the book and scanned the page. The lyrics caught his eye, first. Inklish wasn't his given language, but he recognized most of it.  
“Everyone's trying to tell me what to do,  
Everyone's telling me what to say,  
But they only know my name, not my game!  
Following behind is way too lame,  
So hey, bombs away, bombs away!” 

The guitar part was a tad simple, so he was able to play it easily. For just a bit, he practiced to make sure he had the timing right. He was still rather unfamiliar with sheet music, after all… Soon enough, Pierce whipped out his microphone, eager to sing along. Lex took this as a sign he had it down, and nodded. Admittedly, he also couldn't wait to hear how he sounded. 

He wasn't disappointed. Pierce’s voice was full of raw passion, and he hit every note. Despite clearly not having a mean bone (or, any bones for that matter) in his body, his singing carried this aggression that suited the song perfectly. It was incredible. As they wrapped up, Lex felt his heart racing. 

“You're….you're really good…” he gasped, as words escaped him. “That was…..really intense...You sound….wow…. You wrote that, and you sing so well! I'm surprised you even wanted to play with me, considering your skill… Geez, do you have any other gifts I should know about…?” 

“Aha, thank you! But you're way too humble, Lex, you're great!! And, well, I do sew some! I uh, made what I'm wearing.” It was Pierce’s turn to blush. “That's...actually what I currently do for a living.” 

“Really?? Dang, I wish I could… I'd kill for a new jacket. My other one got totally ruined, so I'm stuck with just this one….” He sighed. “Got shot in the back, literally, and it ripped apart… Is it bad I'm more upset about that than the scar it left me?” 

“That's horrible!! What..I thought weapons were designed to not do permanent damage!! Even so, shooting you in the back…. that's just mean!!!” 

“It was an explosher…. That thing’s dangerous if you want it to be. And overzealous kids who want a story tend to crank it up as hot as they can… But, it's ok. It was a while ago, it doesn't hurt anymore. Just an occupational hazard down here.” Lex shrugged, although he couldn't be sure he was really that fine with it, considering… “Look, it's not important. What's important is, you're seriously good. How are you not in a band already?? Like, I know you're working on one, but still… How have you not gone live yet?” 

“AH! I FORGOT TO ASK YOU!!!” Pierce screamed. When he noticed the other jump, he quieted himself before continuing. “Lex! I'm sorry, I was supposed to ask and I forgot so I got excited-! Sorry, I'm bad at volume control, but-! You’re so talented! I...I… Would you want to join my band??” 

“You- you want me in your band?! Wh- Pierce, do you really think I can just, drop what I'm doing here and run off to join two inklings’ band in INKOPOLIS?!” Lex was taken completely aback. 

“Well- I guess not, but um, it's not two inklings! It's me and Mackerel! He’s a salmonid!” 

“...Your friend is a WHAT NOW-?!” He didn't think he could be more surprised, but that drove him over the edge. Like, he knew he was friendly, but befriending a SALMONID?! That was…. Octarians had contact with them, and couldn't understand them hardly at all… He took a moment to catch his breath. “B-But my point still stands, right? I….You….you’re an...” His head started hurting again. 

“Lex….I-I know you probably think that, because I'm an inkling….I don't like you or any Octarian, but that's not true! And that's not true for most of Inkopolis, too! Times have changed, there's a ton of octolings in Inkopolis now!! Both my neighbors are octolings! One of my favorite bands has an octoling as their lead singer and everyone loves her!!” Pierce reached out and grabbed his hand again. Lex's heart began racing faster than head. “And I’m not even saying you need to leave the Gulch permanently! But you're so skilled, and it's a shame that Octavio jerk is just letting it go to waste! Just… Will you at least think about it?” 

He adjusted his glasses as the cold chill blew through him again.  
“...Yeah. I can think about it…” 

The weight of those words was lost on Pierce, who smiled excitedly.  
“Great!! Did, did you want to play something else?” 

“Sure, that sounds good. Why don't we play Seasick? You said you knew all the words, and now I think you can actually sing it.” 

Their play session went great. Lex got to use more of the sheet music he'd been given, and he even helped enhance some of the guitar portions in Pierce’s work.  
They even took a few breaks to just listen to the songs they were playing, and just to talk about stuff. Time clearly escaped the duo, as the screens illuminating the sky started turning off. Pierce jumped up. 

“AH! I need to get back, look how dark it's getting!! Oh, Mackerel’s gonna chew me out for staying out so late on a work night…” He let out a little sigh. “I- I don't think I can squeeze tomorrow or the next day, but I'll be back on Friday!!” 

“Right… Well you better get going before all the screens are off… I know you inklings aren't used to pure darkness… I better get back home too. It was really nice getting to play with you...” 

Pierce couldn't help but notice how disappointed his friend sounded. It must have been pretty dull down here, considering how many octolings were in Inkopolis now… In all likelihood, he was probably really lonely the rest of the time…. And he clearly didn't have anyone who engaged his music… He pulled him into a quick hug. 

“I had a lot of fun tonight!!” He beamed. “I promise, I'll be back Friday, I'll make it up to you!!” With that, he waved and headed off. 

Lex's heart raced. Why did Pierce always do that to him? All he did was give him a hug… It wasn't like he hadn't been hugged before… A while passed before he could even start heading back because of how fast his heart was beating. As he pulled the front door open, his heart dropped into his stomach. The feeling finally made sense to him. 

He was in love with an inkling.


	7. Gifted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex gets a present from Pierce.

The next two days were rough on Lex. He hadn't realized how boring his job was until now…. All he did was sit around and wait for inklings, but most of the time the coast was clear. When Octavio was still here, they had code SQBs all the time… Those pesky “Squidbeck Splatoon” squids would come in a lot to cause trouble. Now, they only occasionally saw the 4th one, and it wasn't clear what they were getting at. It seemed like they were searching for something…. But what? No one really knew. It wasn't zapfish, they didn't go near any of them. But it had been over a week since they'd shown up last. Maybe they found what they were looking for..? He didn't know, and he didn't really care. They weren't attacking anyone anymore, so it probably didn't matter. Even if they were the one who caught their leader…and managed to keep him captured ever since. 

Lex wasn't sure how he really felt about that anymore, considering the whole brainwashing thing. At least with all this free time, and less strict eyes, he could practice playing. Sure, he had started bringing his guitar to his station about a month ago, when he heard one of the musicians quit and freed a spot…. But now it was different. He had someone to impress that he actually liked! He'd made it his goal to learn all the songs Pierce had written while he was gone. 

Pierce...just thinking about him made his heart race…. He shook his head. It was too soon for him to think like that! How could he be sure this soon that he wasn't just happy to have another friend? Even if it did feel different…. No! He had to stop thinking like this! What if Pierce didn't feel the same way?! What if he came on too strong, and lost him-?   
‘Lex! Stop it!’ He shouted to himself. ‘He’s gonna be here any minute, stop being stupid!!’ 

Sure enough, he barely finished that thought before he heard that familiar voice behind him. He ran to the edge to help pull him up, and then quickly pulled him into a hug before letting go. Pierce beamed. 

“Lex!! It's so good to see you!! I'm sorry I'm so late, but!! I have something for you that I hope makes up for it!!!” With that, he held out a bag, shaking it a bit for emphasis. The symbol on the bag seemed a hint familiar to Lex, who stared at it. 

“Is that…..that….Ann-a-kree brand?” He squinted as he took the bag. “I think I've seen inklings here wearing stuff with this symbol…..” 

“Oh, it's Annaki! I...work there, so I have a lot of their reusable bags…. But that's not the important part! Open it!!” Pierce was jumping up and down with excitement. Lex couldn't help but chuckle as he reached inside the bag. 

He pulled out a jacket. It was quarter sleeves, nearly all black. There were two diamonds on the chest, one on each elbow and a string of them at the bottom. On the end of the sleeves and the jacket there was a trim. He immediately recognized the material used on these pieces as the kind that could change color with your ink, which he could only assume wasn't cheap! The black material was a bit soft on the inside, too… It didn't appear to have any kind of zipper or button, so it must just hang open. 

“You...bought this for me?” For once, Lex was happy he had to wear shades, because they covered the tears that were forming in his eyes. 

“Yeah! Well, er, no, I made it for you!! You said last time you wanted a new jacket, so I thought… Well, that I could make one!! The one you're always wearing is just black, so… I figured you might want something more fun!!” Pierce smiled proudly. “I hope it fits, we’re about the same size so I figured you probably wear a medium too? And it's a bit more open, but uh...I'm just now thinking, you usually keep yours zipped up super high….. So maybe that was a mistake-” 

Lex couldn't wait to try it on. He quickly threw off his current one, and slid into it. The new jacket hung a bit loose on his arms, and it seemed like it was a bit longer than intended. As Pierce noticed this, he looked a bit disappointed. 

“I love it!” Lex exclaimed. “I love bigger jackets, how did you know??”   
Pierce instantly lit back up. 

“Ah, I'm so glad you like it!! Y-You're not just saying that make me feel better though, right?” 

“No way. This is the best gift I've ever gotten. I mean it- Seriously, thank you, Pierce…” As he finished speaking, tears rolled down his face. He'd never thought about it before, but he really hadn't been given much.. He really only had what he needed, and he had to fight so hard to get his guitar… Most of the other frivolous stuff he had was either hand me downs or…  
“I...Love it, seriously...I'm so happy...Sorry, I'm- I'm just so happy-” A tissue was handed to him. 

“Lex...You… You really don't have much down here, do you…?” 

“Heh….It's that obvious?” He sniffed, sitting down. “Yeah, that kinda happens when it's an absolute...monarchy. No, maybe dictatorship is more fitting…”He let out a large sigh. Pierce sat down next to him, putting his arm around his shoulder, giving him a concerned but understanding look. 

“Do you want...or, need, to talk about it?”   
Lex sniffed and gave a weak no. 

“I'm sure this is gonna totally shock you, but I don't, really have many friends… I mean, I got Clementine and Emmy, but… Clementine literally Only cares about music, and Emmy… I mean, she's nice, but like… She also thinks she's always in the right, no matter what, and… Sometimes I feel like she treats me like I'm somebody else. I don't know why, but….” he sighed. “This is going to make me sounds super stupid, but… I feel like I'm closer to you than anyone else I know. I mean, you're the only person I'm even kinda out to, everyone else still thinks I'm a girl, and I'm scared to say I'm-”   
Lex froze mid sentence, realizing what he just said. 

“It's horrible that you don't feel safe to come out to your friends…! I'm sorry, Lex… I, I can't even imagine how much that much hurt…” Pierce spoke softly. When he turned and saw how scared his friend looked, he continued. “Look, Lex… When we met, you said your name was Alexander and you were a boy, right? So, why should I think any different? Who would know you more than you do?” 

“Yeah…. Thanks, Pierce….” Lex sobbed a bit. “Sorry, when I stop being a stupid baby, can we play again? I was, practicing your songs to maybe impress you, and now look at me…” 

“You’re not stupid or a baby!!! I..I feel like you've really not talked about your problems before… I'm glad that you feel like you can be open with me! That...makes me really happy!” Pierce squeezed Lex’s shoulder. “You can always talk to me!” 

“What can I say, soldiers aren’t usually supposed to share life stories with the enemy!” Lex laughed back as another tear rolled down his cheek. “No, but really, thanks. It, means a lot that you’re willing to listen.”

“Anytime! That's what friends are for!! And as your friend, I'm telling you, you really have to stop being so humble!!! You’re really good!”

They exchanged smiles and stood up. Soon enough, they started another jam session. Because of the few days apart they had to practice, they didn't need to warm up much. The stress of their prior discussion seemed to just melt away with every note. They only got in a few songs before the sky started turning dark, and they had to scramble to wrap up to leave. 

Right after exchanging some goodbyes (and a minor gripe because Mackerel had chewed him out so bad the last time he left this late), Pierce stopped, and started to speak again. 

“Lex, if you….” He trailed off, trying to regain his composure. “If you ever want to just, come back to Inkopolis with me, you know you can, right?” 

Lex stared at him blankly for a moment. He couldn't…..could he? Just, leave his home? Sure, he didn't like it down here, and there were really only downsides, but… Would he even be welcomed on the surface? It was way too much to think about right now. 

“I'll keep that in mind. But you really ought to get going! Why don't you just drop a beacon up here? I promise, no one is gonna mess with it.” 

Pierce waved and tossed one down before super jumping away. Lex couldn't help but smile as it spun around, thinking about how it'd be replaced with a cute boy again the next day.


	8. Sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pierce tries to convince Lex to leave the underground

Things continued like this for nearly a month. Pierce would come to the Octo Gulch after work, even a few times on days he was off. They'd talk about their lives and play music. The issue of the band came up, but Lex would just said he needed more time to think it over. Mackerel stayed suspicious as to why he had yet to meet this Octarian, but Pierce always managed to wiggle out of it. After all, he couldn't exactly say where he lived...

He told Lex about his older sister Ami, and her Turf War team called “Ink’s not Dead”. He went on about how they were all top tier players who were virtually unstoppable, and how much he looked up to her, even if he didn't like fighting. He talked about Mackerel and his other friends, like Suzie and Aloe. Lex didn't have as much to say about the octopi in his life, but he didn't mind just listening. Sometimes, he'd talk about his times on the battlefield, or about funny inklings he'd seen down here. And of course, they talked a lot about music. But sometimes, they'd just sit there and enjoy each other's company. No matter what they did, they were happy to just be together. 

On this particular day, though, things were a bit different. Pierce felt confident that he could convince Lex that he'd be happier in Inkopolis. It was clear to both of them that Lex really wanted to be in the band, but felt like he couldn't leave. Of course, he didn't want to pressure him, but… He could also tell he wasn't happy down here. The more he heard, the more he knew that this was a horrible situation for him. He had tried to hint at it before, and he wasn't exactly known for being subtle, but Lex never budged. He was going to have to be upfront about it if he was ever going to get him out of here. And today was the day he was going to do it. 

As he landed back on the top of the tower, he greeted his friend with the usual. They made some small talk as he dropped a new beacon down. It wasn't long before Lex could tell he was planning something by how nervous he was acting. And he was pretty sure he knew what it was…. Thankfully, he'd prepped something for this. He pulled a folder out of his guitar case and handed it to the other, copying his habit of shaking it for emphasis. Pierce took it and pulled out the paper inside, giving it a confused look.

“Sheet music? I don't recognize this song… Did you write this?” 

“Yeah. I thought, yknow, you could write some lyrics for it. And maybe use it in your contest if you wanted?” 

“MY contest? Lex…” He looked at him sadly. Lex acted like he didn't hear or see him and continued. 

“It's a bit heavier on the guitar of course, but… Well, it'll be a good challenge for whoever you get, right? Maybe you can even use it for auditions. Make sure that the guy can play.” 

“Whatever guy we get-?! Lex, I don't just want ‘some guy’ for my band! I want YOU!!” He dropped the folder and grabbed both of Lex's hands. Tears were forming in his eyes. “Why! Why are so against it?! You like playing with me! You've said you hate being here! You've said you love playing more than anything! What….Why….” 

Lex looked down at the ground to avoid making eye contact. 

“Pierce, I can't leave.” 

“WHY?! What's keeping you here?! I-I know you have friends here, but don't you think if they're really your friends they'll agree it's not healthy being here?! You've been talking about how you lose power constantly and often don't have food…. And it's clearly bad because you said you were scared to try inklish food because it might actually be good! A-and you get injured all the time...And you talk about how you're constantly getting yelled at by higher ups... and its- It's...It’s not safe down here, Lex! And I know you're not happy here! Why...Why can't you leave?!” Pierce tightened his grip on the others hands as he started crying. As much as it pained him, Lex pulled away. 

“Because I CAN’T!” He exclaimed, struggling to think of an excuse the other would understand. “Look, you, you don't understand anything about Octarian society!” 

“Sure, I don't know much, but I know that it's STUPID and treats you and everyone like ABSOLUTE GARBAGE!!” Pierce shouted. “And I know that your leader is gone so there's no reason why you gotta, conform to his wishes!! I've never understood why you still wear your uniform every day for someone who isn't even here anymore!! I know you hate it! You wear that jacket BECAUSE you hate it! You hate how revealing it is, and how cold you get! You hate that the other octolings yell at you about it! You hate being here! So, WHY! Lex, I don't understand! Everything you've told me screams that you want to leave, but now… I-It's like you're being controlled or something!! What's going on?!” 

His words hit Lex like a truck. Even without the glasses feeding him orders, he still wore his uniform and went to his post everyday… Other than talking to Pierce, he never did anything against the rules… Was he….Was he really still being controlled? His breath grew unsteady as his brain fogged with questions. 

“Pierce, it's not about what I want! I…. I have to do what...It's my job, I...” He trailed off and turned away. Pierce waited for him to continue, but he didn't. They stood nearly in silence, only the occasional sob echoing. 

“Lex, please….Tell me what's going on….” He spoke barely louder than a whisper. 

“Nothing is going on!” Lex finally shouted back. “I can't just do whatever I want, Pierce! I have a job to do! I can't just run off to Inkopolis and join some punk band!! Even if I want to, I can't! It's not that simple!” 

“It CAN be that simple! We have room in our apartment! And I'm sure you can get a better job in Inkopolis in the meantime!” Pierce spoke eagerly before pausing for a moment. “AH! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm getting carried away… Look, you don't have to leave right now! Will...will you at least consider coming up to see what it's like before you make your mind up? Just a visit! You could meet Mackerel, and-”   
Lex cut him off. 

“Look, this all sounds really nice, but I'm not going to Inkopolis. I can't.” 

“Why can't you….? Surely you have a day off that you could come up….? Even for a few hours? H-How can you know you like here better if you don't know the other option….?” 

“It's not like that. I just can't.” He bit his lip. 

“It's not like WHAT? Lex, please explain this to me, I don't understand-” 

“You don't need to understand! Can't you just let it go and take my no?!” 

“NO! You're my friend, and you're acting weird and letting yourself get hurt! I can't just let this go!! I want to help, but to help I have to know what's going on!! Please, can't we work something out?!” Pierce begged, grabbing the other’s hand again. “You don't have to tell me everything, but, please, at least tell me something!” 

“There's nothing to work out! I can't, it's against the rules, END OF STORY!!” Lex jerked his hand back, and let out a huff. 

“THE RULES?! YOU’RE CHOOSING THE RULES OVER YOUR OWN HAPPINESS?!” Pierce finally sounded like he was getting frustrated, as tears poured down his face. “You don't owe that Octavio JERK anything!! What has he EVER done for you?! When he stole the Great Zapfish, BOTH TIMES, he used that power to run his stupid DJ machine instead helping any of his people! He left you all in the dark, literally! He spat all over your dreams! He's done NOTHING FOR YOU!! Do you REALLY think you should be following the DUMB rules he set up?! Why are you still doing what Octavio wants if it's making you so unhappy?! You don't have to!!” 

“I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, PIERCE!!!” Lex screamed, as he finally started crying as well. He turned to face the other. “I'VE NEVER HAD A CHOICE!” 

“YES, YOU DO!! YOU MADE THE CHOICE TO SPARE ME WAY BACK THEN! YOU'VE MADE THE CHOICE TO LET ME KEEP COMING! YOU MADE THE CHOICE TO WRITE THAT SONG! AND RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE MAKING THE CHOICE TO STAY HERE!”   
Pierce screamed so loud, it alerted another Octoling. She looked up and clearly saw two figures arguing. An alarm was soon set off. Lex's eyes widened. 

“You have to leave. Now.” 

“I-I'm not leaving unless you come with me! Or at least tell me what's going on!!” Pierce stood firmly, and reached his hand out for the other to take. 

“That guard just called everyone here! They'll, splat you! Or, worse!” Lex exclaimed, smacking Pierce’s hand away. “You have to GO! NOW! Before they destroy your beacon!” 

“So what if they do! That's not important right now!! Lex, please just talk to me! You need to-” He was cut off by the whirring of Lex's splattling charging up. 

“GO. NOW.” Lex said in the same hateful tone he'd used when they first met. Pierce gave him a terrified look before scrambling to collect his things, as he destroyed his beacon. He jumped away. 

As soon as he was gone, Lex dropped his splattling and collapsed into a crying mess on the floor. When the other octoling reached the top, she thought he had been shot based how much pain his face showed and how hard he was clutching his chest. He was quickly rushed home, where he just laid on his bed, sobbing until he exhausted himself and passed out. 

\------------

Mackerel saw a sight he'd never seen before when Pierce finally returned home that night. He came in the door completely silent, pulled it closed behind him….. And promptly slumped down on the floor and broke down crying. 

It wasn't like Pierce never cried. He was an emotional person. But he was also an incredibly vocal person. If something was upsetting him, usually the whole building knew. But here he was, on the floor, sobbing silently. It took Mackerel a second before he could even think of what to do. 

“P-Pierce? Wh-what's wrong, dude?” He asked as softly as he could. 

“I don't wanna talk about it….” He blinked. He couldn't remember ever hearing Pierce say those words before. So much so, that he had to make sure that really was what he heard. 

“You….don't want to talk about it? B-but, dude...you're…Did someone do something to you??” 

“I-I don't want to talk about it!” Pierce sobbed louder, as he stood up and walked to his room. He closed the door behind him and shoved something in front of it so Mackerel couldn't just come in, like he always did.   
A few hours passed before he finally moved it away and laid back down. As soon as he heard, Mackerel immediately rushed in. He turned on the light to another strange sight. Pierce was just lying face up on his bed, still fully dressed, but he'd taken all his piercings out. Which he basically never did. Half the time, he just slept in them. Mackerel quickly wheeled as close to his friend as he could. 

“What in the Mothership’s name is going on, Pierce?! I've known you for like, 10 years, and I've never seen you act like this!” His tone was full of concern. 

“Lex…..doesn't want to be in the band….” 

“Oh...that sucks. It sounds like you really liked that guy…” He was unconvinced that that's all it was, but he wasn't going to push it right now. Thankfully, he didn't have to, because Pierce continued. 

“We...we got in this huge argument...I...Mackerel, he's in a horrible situation, but he…. won't leave, and I was trying to….” He was barely able to speak in between his sobs. “I was trying to convince him to leave, and like, come here, but….” 

“Pierce…. you know, you can't convince everyone….” 

“I know, but…. it's really bad….. I thought...I thought he felt safe around me, but he….he wouldn't tell me why he…. Why he feels that way….” 

“I mean, Octarians tend to be kinda, what's the word in inklish…. Unwilling to talk about personal stuff. Aloe’s like that, too. I guess it's just genetic.” 

“But...Mackerel… I…..” he sniffed super hard. “I totally screamed at him and…I think he's mad at me now! And…. I… I really like him! And I….I….” He broke back into full on unintelligible sobbing. Mackerel patted his friend’s shoulder. He wasn't sure how to feel about this Lex guy, but he couldn't just let his best friend be this upset. 

“No one can stay mad at you, dude. If you really feel this strongly about this guy, give him a few days and try to talk to him again. You can still win him over, I know it.” Pierce lightened up a bit.

“You, you think so?” 

“You won me over, and we literally didn't even speak the same language then.” That seemed to calm him down. 

“Yeah….yeah you're right! Thanks, Mackerel...I think I better just, go ahead and sleep…”  
Mackerel smiled back.

“Anytime, dude. You want me to grab your Team Callie shirt on the way out? I know that one’s your favorite.” 

“Yes, please!!” 

As Pierce was changing, he noticed the folder from Lex was on the floor. He opened it, to see he did indeed shove the music back in it when he left. A sense of determination followed through him. 

He knew exactly how he was going to win Lex over.


	9. Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pierce goes back to the Gulch to apologize to Lex, and the truth comes out

Three days passed. Most cephalopods would be busy trying to get ready for the Splatfest starting that night, but Pierce had other plans. He had to apologize to Lex. He had to make things right. And all his preparation was already done, he just had to execute it, repeating every step over and over to himself as he headed to work. As he sat at his station in silence, he continued to mull over the plan. It was clear he was preoccupied; barely meeting quota. Before someone could talk to him about it after his shift, he ran out the door. 

When he reached the all-too-familiar manhole, he froze. Considering how angry Lex was before he left last time…. He was scared this wasn't going to work out.   
‘But….that's exactly why I have to try to make things better!’ He thought, as he adjusted his bag. For the first time in a while, he took a deep breath before diving in. 

Since his beacon was destroyed, he'd have to get there on foot. It'd been so long since he last did that, he worried about getting lost. But, he had to try! He couldn't leave his friend hurting so badly…. A sense of determination flowed through him and he began traversing the strange land. It really was nothing like Inkopolis…… Several small islands floated in the sky, and even that sky was just a bunch of screens affixed to the walls of the Gulch. Towards the bottom were a whole bunch of pots… On the ground, a bunch of machinery was just, all over the place... Alarm systems seemed to be everywhere. Vaults, boxes, and small towers were placed at seemingly random. Floating platforms, fans, grappling points, rails, uninkable walls, sprinklers….Even some things Pierce couldn't identify, like large rollers covered in ink. So much was in this place in a way that made no sense to him, it was so cluttered. It was like they wanted it to be hard to get around….   
He felt a twinge of guilt, realizing he really didn't understand their society at all. 

It must have been about two hours before he finally saw that all-too-familiar tower. He'd forgotten how tall it was….. And the fact he'd actually have to climb it again... He took a moment to make sure Lex was up there, and quickly climbed the side he wasn't facing. He didn't hear anything while climbing up this time… 

“Lex….” he gasped as he reached the top, too exhausted to pull himself up. Lex stood up when he heard his name, but then froze. 

“Pierce?! W-what are you doing here?!” He shouted, his tone unclear. 

“I-I came back to apologize! Lex, I'm sorry, I really don't understand, but… I promise, I won't ask you to come back to Inkopolis anymore! I'm sorry! I lost my temper! And I was talking about stuff I don't understand like I did, and I… I'm sorry!” Pierce sniffed, still dangling off the edge. He tried to lean further on it, but he couldn't seem to make that final push. His breathing was really heavy… 

It was then Lex realized he must've ran all the way here… He came over and pulled him up. Pierce sat down, but only took a second to breathe before continuing. 

“Lex, I promise, I won't talk about it anymore if you don't want me to! I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!! I just...I just want to play with you again! I..I wrote some lyrics to the song you composed, and I...I thought you should approve them, before….” He looked down sadly. It was clear he was still upset that Lex didn't want to join, but…. He did his best to force a smile. “Before I perform it!” Lex looked at him, feeling guilty. 

“...Sure. But why don't you take a second to calm down, first? Tell you what. I'll read it over, ok?”   
Pierce opened his mouth to protest, but Lex had already grabbed the folder from his bag. He flipped through the papers and saw the song. It was the usual punk affair, nothing extraordinary. But when he flipped the page over, there was another song on the back. Despite hearing a WAIT, he started to read it. 

Who am I to say   
Who you are today?   
But see, here's the thing  
It's not who you were yesterday.   
Time is gonna fly  
And your old self will slip by   
I've already seen that with my own eyes.

I know I want to see more,   
But that choice is only yours.   
And no one, inkling or king,   
Can say what makes your heart ring. 

Maybe one day I can be by your side  
As we watch the never ending tide   
But for now, your wishes, I'll abide. 

And so this song I sing.  
Right now, things may sting   
But I know where we reside  
And what the distance can bring. 

Saying it might sound lame,  
But even if we're apart,   
You'll be in my heart.  
It's true, so I can't stay blue   
Things may never be the same   
But I wanna say thanks, for telling me your real name.

“Pierce….” 

“Oh, no….I-I was gonna leave that with you, so you could find it later…! I didn't plan for that-!” Pierce exclaimed, clearly embarrassed. “Ah, ah… I just… Lex…. I…I just want you to know, I'm sorry for acting like I knew what was best for you… I… I want you to make your own choice!! I don't want you to let anyone, even me, tell you what to do!” 

Lex felt his heart drop in his chest. Pierce didn't understand how deep this ran, and how could he? As far as he could tell, he was just some sucker who was afraid not to do what he was told… It was then he realized he couldn't keep lying to him about his reason. It had almost ruined the one good thing in his life….. Pierce had to know the truth, even if…. 

“Pierce, I...I need to tell you something. And it's gonna sound crazy, but…. I need you to believe me.” He gave him a desperate look, and grabbed one of his hands. “Look, the truth is… You were right about the whole ‘letting Octavio control my life’ thing, but like, literally. M-my glasses, you...your friend took out the piece that was, literally letting him control me. I…” he rubbed his eyes. “I didn't...I couldn't think for myself, not really, before then… I… I was….being told what to think, what to feel and…” 

His breath grew heavy, and tears started to roll down his face. It was finally time to open up.   
“I'm….scared… Scared someone would find out that I found out. Scared that I've had so little control over my own life…” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Scared that now, I can...I can do anything… Pierce, I...I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to think I could….So I told myself I couldn't… I don't know why, but I was scared to do really anything out of the norm….I was scared if I did then that'd mean all this horrible stuff was real and I couldn't handle that-! I... I didn't want to have to make my own choices!”  
Pierce tightened his grip on his friend’s hand, looking at him with deep concern.

“Lex….that's horrible...I….I had no idea that he, literally was…..!! I'm, I'm sorry…. I was being pushy…I didn't….I didn't understand your problem, but I acted like I did, and- I'm sorry, Lex! I..I shouldn't have assumed-!!” 

“No, I was…! I was just, running from my problems!! By not doing anything….I didn't want you to know I’m such a coward…!! That I'm....I'm….I'm so scared to have to live my own life!!” His sobs nearly drowned him out. Pierce quickly pulled him into a hug. Lex held on tightly. 

“Lex, Lex, it's ok! You didn't- you didn't do anything wrong!! This is really scary, anyone would have done the same thing!! I-I can't even imagine how hard this has been on you...” 

“But I was being so stupid!! I, I want to leave! I want to leave so bad!! You're right! This whole situation is total - and I shouldn't just take it! I was doing exactly what he wanted!! I was… I was sacrificing my own happiness…..!! But I'm- I'm…” Pierce didn't understand one of the words he said, but could guess the inklish equivalent. “I'm….It's….It's like, I've only halfway existed until like a month ago! I'm….I’m not even sure who I really am!”

“I know who you are. You're Lex, my dear friend. You're a great guitar player, have a great ear for music, and you're super cool guy! You're nice, maybe a bit snarky… You love Diss-Pair, you're usually sleepy and cold… you've gone through a lot… But you don't like making people worry. You have a hard time opening up to people, but it's so worth it when you do. And hey, maybe you don't have the rest figured out yet. That's ok.” He stroked his hair. “We can figure that out together, right?” 

It was then Lex went from crying to full on bawling. He couldn't believe that for once in his life, someone actually understood him...That someone even wanted to...That someone considered him a dear friend… His grip tightened on the other. 

“Pierce…. I….I don't want to let go….I don't want you to leave...Please….Please don't leave…..” He whimpered. 

“I'll stay as long as you need me to, ok?” Pierce cooed. “I won't let go until you do, I promise. No matter how long you need.” 

The sky soon turned dark, but they still held each other close. They remained like this even as all the lights turned off. Finally, Pierce felt the other’s grip loosen. He started to say something, when he realized Lex hadn't let go on purpose. He'd fallen asleep. ‘I mean, I know he said he fell asleep easily, but this-!! He's literally standing up still!!’ Pierce mumbled to himself. 

It was then he started panicking, because he didn't know where Lex's house was, and also didn't think he could get away with taking him there even if he did. Considering what he'd heard about his roommate….he gulped. And he couldn't exactly take him to his place… Waking him up seemed like the best option, but, try as he might, he couldn't seem to do it… Then again, he was scared to actually scream, considering what happened last time. He sighed, and lowered Lex to the ground. At least his bag could act as a makeshift pillow…. It had some fabric he was bringing home from work still in it, so it should be a little soft. He sat on the ledge next to his friend. There was no way he was comfortable, he'd have to wake up soon…. 

Dawn came before he did. Well, as close to dawn as you got down here. The screens all began to flicker on, and Lex jerked awake. This wasn't the first time he'd just fallen asleep at his station, so he wasn't exactly surprised to wake up here. But, seeing someone next to him, that was definitely different. 

“Pierce…? Pierce!! What are you still doing here!?” He exclaimed as he gently shook him awake. Pierce yawned and rubbed his eyes before answering. 

“Oh.. You didn't say you were ready for me to leave yet, so… I didn't leave. It didn't feel right, making you wake up here alone…” 

“But, you….Pierce…what about your job and friends? Aren't they going to be worried about where you are..?” 

He immediately made a face that screamed ‘I hadn't thought about that’. 

“I-it's ok! I'm sure I can explain! Besides, it's more important that I help my friend when he needs me, right? I did promise I'd be here for you!” 

Lex felt himself tear up again, but he nodded in response. After a moment of silence, he noticed that Pierce had outstretched his arms again, and he quickly ran into them. 

“You looked like you needed another hug.” 

“I do….I'm a mess, I'm a total mess...I'm sorry, I'm….doing a really bad of seeming cool, huh...” 

“Lex, it's ok! I'm glad you told me. You're….really strong for being able to go through all of this, and nothing is ever gonna change my mind on you being cool!!” 

“Thanks, I don't feel like I am right now, but...I...I feel better since you're here…” Lex sniffed as he tightened his grip for just a moment. “Is that stupid? I..I want to be with you, forever. But, I know that...”   
He let go, and stepped back a bit.   
“I don't know if you feel the same…” 

“Lex, of course I do- AAAAH!!” Pierce’s sweet statement was cut off by a song blasting. He frantically ran to his bag and shuffled through it. Lex blinked. He'd never heard this song before, but something about it seemed...familiar… Like he should know what it was, despite never hearing it. 

“I'm sorry! It's my work alarm! This is, like the ONE TIME I don't want to hear Calamari Inkantation!!” 

His eyes widened. That was the forbidden song! ….This was the forbidden song? The one that turned octoling traitor? It was strange, and he couldn't entirely say it was the inkantation’s doing, but…. Right then, thinking about how much Pierce had done for him…hearing those lyrics... His mind felt clear. The back and forth debate he'd had with himself seemed to end in an instant. Any lingering doubts he had, any desire to stay in the status quo...Stopped. But soon enough, so did the music. 

“Oh man, oh man, I have missed calls from Mackerel, Ami, everybody!!” Pierce looked bug-eyed at his phone. “And like, a billion texts….I've got so much explaining to do-!! B-But I can't send out anything, the signal is bad...” His oncoming panic paused as he felt a hand on his shoulder. 

“Well, then why don't we get going?” 

“We- Lex, you're coming back with me!!!?” His eyes sparkled with excitement. “You- you really mean it????” 

“Yeah. I can't exactly stay with you forever if I'm all the way out here, right?” Lex smirked. “But, before you agree to that, I don't have like, any money. Or like, any practical work skills.” 

Pierce jumped up and basically flung himself at Lex, who only barely caught him. 

“I'M SO HAPPY!!! LEX, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT THERE!! THERE'S SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO!! AND IT'S EVEN A SPLATFEST TONIGHT!! YOU'RE GONNA GET TO SEE A LIVE CONCERT!!! OH, YOU CAN FINALLY MEET MACKEREL!! I JUST KNOW YOU'RE GONNA GET ALONG SO WELL!! AND WE CAN MAKE THE FULL BAND AND THEN WE’LL BE PERFORMING FOR SPLATFESTS AND AND AND!!” He exclaimed, bouncing up and down as he did. He spoke so fast, Lex could barely understand him, but he was happy he was so happy. 

“Yeah...That all sounds great.” He smiled, but knew he owed him something else. He looked down at their hands and rubbed his thumbs across the others palms, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Pierce…. before we go, I gotta tell you something else. I… I totally have a crush on you. But, I-I don't want things to be weird between us!! I, I just- I feel like you should know, before I-”   
His face totally flushed, and he started to pull away, trying to avoid eye contact the whole time. But then, he felt a stronger hold on his hands. 

“Lex- I'm- I've got the biggest crush on you!!! I just didn't want things to be weird, too!!!” Pierce stammered, flushing as well. “I was trying SO HARD not to tell you know!! But!!” 

“What!! But I was trying to not tell you!!” 

“Well you did a really good job, because I had no idea!!! I was so worried when I kept grabbing your hand, you were gonna think I was being super gay, because I was, and get weirded out!!” 

“I thought YOU were gonna think I was being super gay, because I was, and get weirded out!!”

The two of them started laughing, relieved they felt the same. They joked for a while about all the obvious cues that they had missed. But then Lex remembered he really ought to bring what little belongings he had with him, and super jumped back to the apartment to grab them. Before he returned, he left a letter on Emmy’s bed so she wouldn't wonder where he went. He threw his spare glasses on the ground, and crushed them with his foot. No way he was taking them with him. He looked back up at Pierce and smiled. 

“All right. If you can get my guitar, I'll get my backpack and splattling, and we can jump out of here.” 

“Um…. One problem…..” Pierce pointed nervously to his phone. “I-I was so determined to talk things over with you….I didn't remember to leave a beacon…. And it's too far to jump to my house from here, I can't get the signal working-!” 

“That's ok, we can just walk, right? I wouldn't mind taking in the sights one last time.” Lex reached his hand out, and Pierce took it eagerly. They closed their eyes, and changed to the same color of ink. 

“Ok! Let's go, boyfriend!” 

“Let’s go, boyfriend.”


	10. Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mackerel waits impatiently for his friend to come home

Mackerel anxiously wheeled circles around the living room, looking at the clock every third loop. It was nearing 3 am, and Pierce still hadn't come back from work. Or even bothered to call him! Granted, it was the night of a Splatfest. Stuff was going on, even this late. But he didn't even play Turf! And Ami was definitely still was, so he couldn't be with her! And even if he was, he would've called first!! Mackerel felt himself getting heated, so he stopped his pacing to put his head in his hands. Maybe that'd help him think better than the aimless looping…. 

It didn't do much. All he could remember what Pierce was determined to talk things over with that Lex kid. He had said he'd be back before the event started, though…. Inklings tended to lose it over the Splatfest, and it'd be so much harder for him to slip through Inkopolis Square with that live concert going… Did he really just get stuck? But then, he would've called, right? Or at least texted? He looked at his phone again, still nothing. He couldn't understand why this was happening….This wasn't like Pierce, at all. He was usually so easy to read, but... Ever since he started talking to that guy, he'd been acting...weird. Secretive. He refused to talk about where this dude lived, or why they couldn't meet! Mackerel racked his brain, but he couldn't think of a single good reason why that'd be. The only thing he could think of was if Lex was in the Octo Gulch…   
He shook his head. Even Pierce wasn't dumb enough to go there again. 

Thirty more minutes passed. He groaned, realizing he should probably just go to bed and talk to him in the morning. But he couldn't help but worry. Pierce was way too trusting for his own good. He'd gotten himself into trouble before….and it could easily happen again. And considering the only reason they met was because he'd tried to go to the Smokeyard by himself when he was like, 10… Mackerel shuddered, remembering how badly his friend almost got hurt. But that was like, ten years ago. There was no way he'd pull something like that again…. right? Right. He probably just lost track of time. If this Lex guy really did live in Inkopolis Square, they probably got distracted by the fest. Pierce could've ran into one of his many other friends and got caught up. He did have a bad habit of getting distracted and forgetting to do stuff like call. And sure, this was way later than his usual late, but… It was enough to calm Mackerel down some. He left a note for Pierce to please be quiet when he got back, and went back to his room. 

Considering how late he'd stayed up, he fell asleep almost instantly. Even if Pierce had come back yelling, he probably would've slept through it… Usually he woke up to his alarm, but today it was the apartment phone. He groaned and looked at the ID. ….Annaki CO? Pierce’s work was calling? 

“PIERCE!! PHONE’S FOR YOU!!” No response. And there was no way he could get in there before it finished ringing... He sighed and answered it. “Hello? It's Mackerel.”

“Oh, Mr. Mackerel, hello! We were just wondering, is something wrong with Mr. Santinez? He hasn't arrived at work today. For the past few days, it has seemed like he has been feeling under the weather… Has he caught something? Will he be making it today?” A woman's voice chirped through the phone. 

Mackerel blinked. Pierce was late for work….? He guessed, if he got back much later than when he fell asleep… He might've overslept. Yeah. He just overslept. 

“H-hang on, I'll talk to him…” He replied, and got out of bed as fast as he could. Which wasn't very, but he did his best. His fears were confirmed as he pushed open the door to Pierces room. He wasn't in bed, or anywhere in his room. Mackerel’s eyes widened. He quickly wheeled out and searched the whole house, but his friend wasn't there. What was worse, the note he left was still taped on the back of the door. He knew Pierce, and he would've ripped it off before reading it. So….he must've not come back last night. 

Mackerel could hear the woman was speaking on the other end. Carp. If Pierce was missing and didn't go to work today, he could lose his job… Which was their only source of serious income. He'd have to make something up so he didn't! 

“Um… I'm sorry ma'am, he's caught some kind of cold.. His voice is totally shot. I don't think he's gonna make it. Can he use one of his vacation days, or something?” 

“Oh...Well, we usually expect the employee to call us in such cases, but… Well, Pierce is a good one, usually. I suppose we can let this slide, just this once. But please tell Mr. Santinez to let us know next time, all right?” 

“Right...Thank you, I'll let him know. Goodbye.” Mackerel sighed with relief as he hung up the phone, before immediately being filled with panic again. What was he supposed to do?! He wasn't exactly the most mobile fish, all things considered. And he had basically no idea where to even start looking! Did he need to call in a search party? Would Inkopolis officials even listen to a salmonid’s request? Had Pierce ever even mentioned Lex's last name before so they could locate him?! Had he really hurt his friend, or was this just a weird coincidence?! Mackerel's mind fogged with questions he couldn't answer. He could usually read Pierce so easily, but for once he had no clue what he could be up to... There was only one person who had a chance of knowing more than him. He took a moment to calm down a bit before dialing the number.

If his older sister didn't know anything, then he could full on panic. 

\------

“Ugh...Mackerel, why are you calling me so early? You know I was up all night Turfin. Danny and Sid aren't even getting here for like, two hours…I was gonna sleep, man.” Ami grumbled, rubbing her eyes. It was barely past 8am…on the morning of a Splatfest... Surely he realized she'd been out. They'd lived together for like, 5 years before he moved out with her brother. 

“Sorry, but I gotta ask you something. Have you heard from Pierce recently? And if you did, did he sound…..normal? Well, normal for him?” His voice sounded uneasy. She squinted at the phone a bit. This was weird...

“Yeah, he texted me yesterday after work wishing me good luck at the Splatfest. I mean, usually he does that at midnight, but like, whatever, no biggie, right? I did call him around then and he didn't answer, but.. Wait...why are you asking?” Her tone immediately grew concerned. “Did he do something weird?” 

“You could say that. He never came home after work yesterday.” 

“He never- WHAT! YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS?!” She jerked up in bed, eyes wide. “He- he didn't go to work this morning?! Mackerel, did he say he was doing anything after?! You gotta tell me whatever you know, NOW.” 

“It's not much. He said he was gonna talk to that Lex guy….” He froze for a second, unsure if that name meant anything to her. “Has he even told you about him?”

“Oh, his little boyfriend? Yeah. Ok well, I don't think he's actually his boyfriend, but like. Pierce’s so gay for that guy. He told me he's been going after work to talk to him and maybe talk him into joining your band. Come to think of it… He never texts me back when he's with that guy. That's weird, right?” Ami frowned. Usually Pierce did introduce her to his new friends….  
“And I really don't know a ton about him, except that he plays guitar, and kinda what he looks like.” 

“Believe me, I don't know much more! He never answers me when he's with him either… I thought maybe he just lived in a place with poor signal, but Inkopolis has signal literally everywhere. I’ve never been in a dead zone!” Mackerel could feel himself getting heated, and took a second to catch his breath. “I wouldn't be so worried, except A) he missed work, which he's literally never done before, and B) the last time he talked to this Lex guy, they apparently got in a fight… And like, I know this is some real ‘pot calling the kettle black’, but octolings are known for having a bit of a temper…” 

“Yeah… Look, considering it's a Splatfest today, it's gonna be kinda hard, but…. I can try calling in and seeing if there's any record of this guy. I can safely say I've never seen anyone who matches the description of this dude here, but if he doesn't play Turf or Ranked… That doesn't mean much.” She rubbed her temples a bit. “And I can ask Danny if they've seen him in the Plaza… but that's really all I can do with what I know…” 

She took a second to take a deep breath, trying to calm down a little. Acting like this was really unlike her little brother, but.. He usually acted with a reason. There had to be something that was causing this, and besides… 

“But, Mackerel. If he's been seeing this dude after work.. He can't be that far away. Like, if he made it to him and back that first time and still made it back before you went to bed… Even if he was using beacons, he had to get there the first time, right? And there's no place inside the Inkopolis bounds that's super dangerous or isolated. Even if this dude is bad news… Someone would be nearby. And like, we both know how much Pierce loves us and Inkopolis. I doubt he'd like, intentionally do anything to make us worry or planning on leaving or whatever. He's a good kid, even if he's not always….the brightest. And I chose to believe he learned something from the whole, Jason thing….” 

Mackerel sighed, feeling a sense of relief. Ami was right, Pierce wouldn't do anything to make them worry… And there had to be some kind of reason why he would suddenly not answer. His phone could've died. Then he would've also missed his work alarm… And considering how riled up he'd been recently, he was really likely to forget to charge it. Yeah. Mackerel felt satisfied with that conclusion. Even if it didn't explain why Pierce still wouldn't say where this dude lived…. There must be something he thought they'd disagree on, or something. He trusted Pierce enough to think he wouldn't try bringing in somebody that was like, actively violent or bigoted or whatever. Not again, at least. He had gotten a little better on judging people's intentions… 

“...Thanks, Ami. I'll let you know when I hear from him. Hopefully it's soon.” 

“All right. I'm gonna try and maybe do a few matches, but… I'll probably call it early for once.” She said before wishing him goodbyes and hanging up. 

Mackerel really wasn't sure what else to do than just wait at this point. If he didn't hear back soon, he would take Ami up on her offer to search the records, but.. She probably needed to play some to calm down a bit from this whole mess. He groaned. As soon as he knew Pierce was ok he was gonna plan to go home to the Smokeyard for a few days just to get over this…. 

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long, as 2 hours later his phone rang. The custom ringtone he'd set immediately let him know it was Pierce. 

The first note barely finished playing before he picked it up.


	11. First Taste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pierce and Lex go to Inkopolis, and things are a bit hectic.

The sun shone brightly over Inkopolis Alley. Though not a major part of the city, it was still a rather populated area, with its own strange charms. Especially on a day like today. Even though Splatfests were still regulated in the Square, the cephalopods of the Alley put it on themselves to host their own version of the festival. Many smaller bands would play in the streets to make up for their lack of proper hosts. Music seemed to travel through all of the Alley… Except in one lonely part. Even the hardest of bands avoided the lone manhole resting at the edge. After all, it was a one way ticket to Octarian Territory… 

While most of Inkopolis was ok with the octolings on the surface, the ones who remained loyal to Octavio were still widely feared. And the Gulch, located under this manhole, was where the remainder seemed to live. Only the brave, or stupid, would dare come over here. Graffiti warning the public was plastered around, and there had even been talk of building something to further hide it, should the Alley get more populated. Or at least setting up some kind of camera to track who came and went. Although, it wouldn't catch many, as there were only two inklings who regularly went towards this end of town. 

And was of them was leaving with a guest today. 

“W-welcome to Inkopolis-!” Pierce gasped, gesturing grandly at the street. “T-this, well, it's not much over here, but you'll see more-! A-After I...rest a second….” 

He couldn't keep his energy high, considering he'd been running with Lex for the past two and a half hours on an equal amount of sleep. It was taking everything he had to just stay on his feet… Thankfully, a bench was nearby. Before he could even ask, Lex had gone ahead and sat on it, clearly also tired. He eagerly joined his partner. 

“So...this is the big city, huh?” Lex smiled. “I never thought I'd ever actually get to see it… Wow. It's nice. That's...that's the real sun, right? And real clouds?”

“Yeah! I can't believe you've never seen the real sky before…” Pierce leaned over. “Wait, didn't you have one of the zapfish from here? The one from our apartment building got stolen, and that was the one you had!” 

“Oh, nah. I never got trusted to anything important or cool like raiding.” He let out a small, but tired, laugh. “I just got it dumped on me. Heck… I say that, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me, I guess, since it's the reason I met you.” 

“Lex!! That's so cute!!” Pierce beamed. 

“You're so cute.” 

“YOU'RE so cute!!” 

They took a minute to laugh at how dorky they were being, and to appreciate that they had made it safely to the city. It had been a hectic journey, but it was finally nearing its end. They could just sit here and enjoy the moment. The cool air blew pleasantly on them. But soon enough, Lex turned back to Pierce to ask something. 

“You know, I was wondering. How did you even know which one was the one from your building? They all look the same, and clearly you didn't follow whoever had it back, or you would've probably gotten it back before I had it…” 

“Oh, Mackerel did all that! I-I think he said he tracked the frequency it was giving off or something?? I don't really remember, but I'm really happy he did, since….” He grabbed Lex's hand and smiled. “...I got the world’s coolest boyfriend out of it.” 

“Oh come on, you big sap…We've only been dating like 3 hours and that's like the 5th time you've called me that...” Lex teased, but his flushed face proved he was enjoying it. “But wow, your friend is like, crazy smart if he figured all that out.” 

“I'm just happy we're together and skipped the months of pining! But yeah, he's super smart and- AAAH! HE HAS NO IDEA WHERE I'VE BEEN!!” He exclaimed, frantically searching his bag for his phone. “I-I'm gonna call him right now!! I-Is that ok??” 

Lex nodded, and Pierce quickly dialed the number. He barely had to wait a second before getting an answer. 

“Pierce-?! Pierce, dude, where in the Mothership’s name have you been?! Are you ok?!” Mackerel screeched from the other end, clearly panicked. 

“Mackerel!! Hi! I'm ok!! I-I know I've got a lot of explaining to do but I-! Look a lot happened, and I just kinda crashed at Lex's place last night… I didn't have any signal, so I couldn't get through to you, and- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you worry!! So much happened, and I just now got a chance to call-!” Pierce nervously fidgeted in the seat. 

“But you're ok?! You're in one piece still?!” 

“I'm better than ok!! I talked things over with Lex!! B-but, um, listen this is all a long story!! I feel like it would probably be easier if we came back home and we talked there…” 

“Yeah, yeah, sure. But first you should probably go see your sister, she was all freaked out. Probably more than I was…” Mackerel sighed. “And Pierce, you really scared me! Plus, you would've gotten in serious trouble at work if I wasn't the best and covered for you!” 

“I know, thank you- I'm sorry! Look, I promise I can explain!! Did, did you want to just meet us at Ami’s? Or did you want us to come by and go with you?” 

“You better just go to Ami’s and I'll meet you there later.. I was trying to wait up for you last night and I'm exhausted… Look, I'm just glad you're ok. But don't do this to me again-!” His tone made it clear he was halfway joking and halfway serious. 

“All right- We’ll meet you there!!”   
Mackerel squinted. 

“Dude...why do you keep saying, we and us?” 

“OH! Because Lex is with me!!” Pierce stated, excitedly. “You're finally going to get to meet him!!!” 

Mackerel blinked, stunned. He'd really managed to talk this guy into leaving in one night? Dang….Pierce really did have a way with this kinda stuff. Either that, or something was up… At least he'd finally get to see this dude he'd, honestly heard little about. 

“Oh...that's good, yeah. I'll see you in a bit, Pierce. And I guess also your, friend. Be careful getting to Ami’s, you know how wild you cephalopods get during Splatfest.” 

“Yeah… You be careful too Mackerel!! We'll see you soon! Bye!” 

With that, he clicked off the phone and turned towards his partner with a nervous smile. Lex grinned back and stood up, grabbing his things. 

“All right, if I have to meet all your peeps, we better get going, huh? Plus, we probably need to eat..” Almost like it was planned, his stomach growled. It was only then they realized they hadn't eaten in nearly a day… Pierce was quick to jump up as well. 

“Right!! Well, we gotta pass right by Crusty Sean's on the way to my sister’s! And I know I have some tickets left from work.. We can get some seanwiches or a schwaffle or something!! Do you like either of those?” A firm grip was placed on his shoulder.

“Pierce, I literally didn't understand like half of the words you just said there, but I'm so hungry and my standards for cuisine are so low I will actually eat anything. Let's go.” 

With that, they headed off to Inkopolis Square. Security stopped them on the way in. Thankfully, Pierce had told Lex beforehand to switch to his zip-up jacket and to take off his glasses for just a minute, so they didn't suspect anything. The only thing they did was make him hand over his Splattling. At that point though, he was relieved to not have to carry it anymore. They also nabbed Pierce’s Nzap. Since neither of them were registered players, and therefore shouldn't be able to buy weapons, they had to lie and say they were Ami’s and she'd left them at Pierce’s house. A lie that security easily bought, and they sent the weapons ‘back’ to her place. 

While usually busy, Inkopolis Square was extra packed today. Inklings and Octolings alike stood cramped together, trying to watch live shows from their favorite bands. They'd changed every couple of hours to keep the energy as high as possible. The whole city seemed to be covered by a large cloud, making this part much darker than the rest of the city. But it was well lit with many red and light yellow lights. In fact, most of the people here were wearing a shirt in one of those colors… Signs were plastered everywhere, saying stuff about….fries and chips? Some of them seemed very aggressive! Lex remembered reading in school that inklings loved waging wars with each other over frivolous manors, but it was still weird seeing how true that was. He wasn't even sure what fries were…. 

Before he could think anymore about it, he was nudged towards a small yellow truck. Pierce ran up and handed some tickets to the….well, Lex couldn't tell what the creature in the truck was. He’d never seen anything like them before… They turned to him and asked what flavor drink he liked, but he didn't really know. Still, he was more than eager to make his own choice, so he picked the one with the coolest sounding name. Even if he had no idea what it meant. Before long, the apparently named ‘Crusty Sean’ handed the duo a bag and two cups, and they ran to the only clear table before someone else got it. 

He'd gotten one of each just in case Lex didn't like one or the other, and just selected at random which he took, ending up with the schwaffle. Lex only took two bites of his seanwich before crying a bit because it was the best food he'd ever had by far and he didn't even know what it was. Pierce wasn't sure if he should be happy or horrified by this. At the very least, he was glad he was able to give him something good to eat. Especially because of what he'd heard about the standard issue meals in the Gulch… He was glad he'd held onto those supreme tickets, they clearly needed all the food they could get. 

“Um...Pierce? Can I try a bite of...that thing?” Lex asked after he'd calmed down, pointing at the schwaffle. “It looks, interesting. Um, maybe I could give you some of mine in a trade?” 

“Oh, yeah! I'll cut it in half!” Pierce beamed, as he eagerly tried to slice the dessert mound with a plastic knife. It took some doing, but he managed to get it roughly in half. Lex was quick to do the same thing to his food, and they traded portions. “If you don't like it, we can just switch back, ok?” 

“All right-” He smiled back, and took a big bite…. Only to start crying again. “I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry, this is just…. I-It's so sweet! I-It's so good…!” 

“Y-yeah, it's technically a dessert-” Pierce barely got that out, he was filled with concern. “Um, Lex, are you ok…?” 

“I-I don't know what a dessert is!!” Lex sniffed, taking another bite before continuing. “B-But I like it!! I-Im ok, I'm so-sorry! I-I really like it..!” 

“You don't have to apologize! B-but, you've never had a dessert before…? That's horrible!!” He reached out for the others hand, and held it tight. “Tell you what. Mackerel makes the best food, I'll see if he won't make you something, ok?” 

Lex just nodded as he took another big bite. Pierce smiled back, and finished the rest of his food. A bright light soon caught his attention, and he looked up. 

“Oh! They're switching bands!! Who's going on now...” Squinting, he raised a hand above his eyes to get a better focus. “Ah! It's Off the Hook!” 

Now they actually heard the music pouring through the Square. They'd been so overloaded, it didn't even register as anything but sound until then. It seemed to all be coming from a stage placed over the focal point of the town, the Lobby, as Pierce called it. There were two girls performing on it, and even they were wearing red and light yellow. Surprisingly, they were doing some kind of rap song… They looked more like a pop rock band, Lex thought. 

“Off the Hook?” He asked. “Is that their band name? It sounds...familiar, somehow.” 

“Yeah! They used to be the hosts here, but a few years ago they decided to be just a normal band! They play all kinds of stuff now. Too bad they're not doing metal, that's my favorite!” 

The former idols… He used to think these girls controlled the inklings, but clearly that wasn't the case. So, he wasn't sure what they actually did except...sing? Made the inklings chose between arbitrary things? Apparently this was the job Pierce really wanted… or to host news? Or, wait, did they also host the news? Well, not anymore, but they did in the past, right? That seemed kinda unglamorous… It didn't really make sense to him, but he'd have to ask later. Something else had caught his eye... He squinted up at the two performers, and pointed to the taller of the duo.

“Huh, one of your idols was an octoling? I didn't know you inklings got so progressive.” He said, clearly impressed. 

“Yeah! Wait. MARINA IS AN OCTOLING?!” Pierce jerked back in his seat. 

“Octolings have suckers on the outside, Pierce.” Lex pointed to his ‘hair’, and then back towards the stage. “See? And inklings have ‘em on the inside. I can't tell for sure from back here, but it looks like she doesn't have the uh, eye mask thing you all have, either.” He pushed his glasses up, and pointed to the bridge of his nose.   
“The, uh, thing you all have here. The thing I don't have, and that, Marina chick also doesn't have.” 

“Wow…..I never knew…But come to think of it, Aloe has them on the outside, and they're an octoling too...Wow….” Pierce looked like he was still processing this information, but he shook his head. “But- I'm happy, because I got to see your pretty eyes again~”   
Lex was quick to pull his glasses back on, much to his dismay.   
“It's true! Your eyes are such a pretty shade of red… I wish you didn't have to wear those sunglasses all the time! I wanna get lost in them more!”

“They're not, and I wish I had a pair that didn't, y’know…Hey, is there anywhere in Inkopolis I could get new prescription glasses, sometime? I know we're kinda in a rush here right now, but… Sometime soon?” He gripped tightly on his arm. If he didn't need them, he'd have left these back in the Gulch… But his sensitive to light was so bad, and he was nearsighted. He had to have something to help, and this was the only thing he had right now. And, they were kinda the reason he met Pierce…. 

“Oh! I bet you could at Flow’s! We can try to swing by there later or tomorrow!” Pierce grabbed his partner’s hand again. “Lex, we’ll get rid of those soon, I promise.” 

“All right...I’m too tired to do it right now anyways.” 

“But, Lex! You know what this means, right?”   
Lex blinked and shook his head. 

“I-If Marina is an octoling! And you're an octoling! Well-! Marina was like, the most popular ink-octoling in Inkopolis while they were hosting! My sisters roommate even has a Marina tattoo!” Pierce waved his hands around while he spoke. “Which means...Everyone is gonna love you, too!!” 

“Pierce, I don't think it's that simple- I think it's more so about her skill.” Lex said with a little chuckle. “But, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better.” 

“Well, I love you already! And I know you're skilled!! And have an award winning personality!” 

“You're too cute, you know that?” He stood up, and grabbed his things, along with Pierce’s hand. “Well, shouldn't we be going?” 

“Yeah! But, I'm telling you Lex, you're gonna be a fan favorite, I just know it!!” 

The crowd was thick. They had to grip tightly onto each other to stay together. Even then, they nearly got separated a few times… Once they got near the Lobby, the crowd seemed to be more regulated. With a sharp turn right, the duo headed down a small alley past some kind of subway station. They went through another security check, and headed out towards a nearby cul de sac. Pierce eagerly lead Lex to one of the houses there, and swiftly unlocked the door. 

He took a second to breath before pushing it open to meet his sister.


	12. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ((VERY SORRY this is so late!! I had a bunch of real life stuff happen, and had major writers block as a result. I'm going to try to post at least once a week while I catch back up...!)) 
> 
> Pierce finally brings Lex home.

Ami slumped onto her couch, exhausted. Who knew trying to do Turf War when you barely slept the night before was a bad idea? She'd been in bed maybe 4 hours when Mackerel had called saying her brother was missing, and after that she was too upset to fall back asleep. But she didn't want to let her team down, so she still played until everyone reached the top rank. While she was turfing, she was able to forget about it, sure, but every wait in the lobby left her anxiously checking her phone. Not like there was ever an answer. Pierce was probably fine, and she knew that, but she couldn't help but worry about him. This was the same brother who'd run off to the Smokeyard on his own, unarmed…. 

That memory was cut short by a THUD outside the door. She'd been living here long enough to know that had to be a drone dropping off a weapon. Did Gil, her roommate, buy a new one? He barely ever changed from his charger…Like, they'd been teammates for nearly 10 years, and she could count the number of times he'd switched on one hand. Well, she wasn't gonna just leave it outside. As much as she wanted to stay on the couch forever, she got up and grabbed a box cutter. To her surprise, there were two boxes, one of which was huge! Neither was sniper shaped, so it probably wasn't from Gil. He didn't really use any other kind of weapon, even for fun. Was this another wrong address case? She didn't have time for this right now…! Nevertheless, she cut open the smaller one.

Her eyes widened as she saw what was inside. This was Pierce’s Nzap!! It still had the stickers and paint job he'd given it when he was, 15 and thought he wanted to play Turf…. If it was sent here… He must've had it on him and passed through security in the Square!! So he was here?! Was he heading this way? He'd better be! But, she wondered why he'd have even brought his Nzap with him. He didn't end up liking Turf War because you could ‘hurt’ people, so he only played it like, 4 times. She insisted he keep his weapon she'd gotten him, just in case he changed his mind. Or in case he needed it. Then again, it did let him have beacons… If this Lex guy lived far away, it'd be easier to just beacon jump there…Inkopolis Alley was a little less restrictive on weapon usage than the Square since it was less populated, and was mostly occupied by adults, after all. Any which way, if she now had it, he was safe in the Square, which meant he was probably coming here. 

‘But, what's this box then?’ Ami mumbled to herself. Pierce wasn't licensed in Turf anymore, so it wasn't like he could've bought her a weapon… Even if he did, she used Dualies. This box looked big enough to hold a Splattling or Roller, which Sid and Danny, her other teammates, used, sure… But they had their own houses, and usually just kept their stuff in their lockers in the lobby. Wondering wasn't going to get her anywhere, so she cut it open. Like she thought, it was a splattling, but it wasn't a model she recognized. It definitely wasn't Sid’s, and she knew he couldn't afford to buy another right now. She checked the label on the package. It was addressed to her, so it wasn't a wrong address. Whose weapon was this?! The only conclusion she could reach was that Security forgot to change the address and name on the person after Pierce… So it got marked to come here despite not being hers. That'd happened to her before. She sighed, realizing she'd have to call this in later. Right now, she needed to flop back on the couch until her brother came in. But she still dragged the boxes in behind her. 

About an hour passed before she heard the door open. She jumped up. Lo and behold, Pierce was standing in the doorway. He didn't even get two steps inside before she'd run up to him and pulled him in a hug. It was probably for the best that he didn't have any bones, because Ami squeezed hard. 

“PIERCE!! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ME IF YOU WERE GONNA RUN OFF TO WHO KNOWS WHERE!! YOU BETTER BE OK!!” 

“Sis! I'm sorry! A-A lot happened and I...I'm fine though!!” He stuttered back, clearly nervous. “I was talking to Lex, and his place didn't have any signal, so I-I called Mackerel as soon as we got back, and he said I should come over, so we ran here, but… I'm sorry, I should've called you too…” 

“Well, you had me worried sick…!! Call me next time too!!!” Ami pouted, but it was clear she was relieved to see him. “But wait, you said we? Is Mackerel with you? I've got some choice words for him since he didn't bother calling me to tell me he heard from you!!” 

Pierce was about a head taller than she was and with the way he was standing, she couldn't really see behind him. Thankfully, she had inherited all the strength from their dad, so she was easily able to move him out of the way. There was indeed someone with him, but it wasn't Mackerel. An octoling she'd never seen before stood awkwardly behind him. They were thin as a stick, their ‘hair’ was long, they wore strange sunglasses, and their skin was extremely pale… Which was about the only description she ever got for that Lex guy. Was that him? Huh, he was definitely Pierce’s type. It was then something concerning caught her eye. 

That outfit he was wearing was an Octarian Military Uniform.  
Pierce had been going to and from the Octo Gulch. 

This was more than Ami was equipped to handle, and she promptly turned around and walked back to the living room and collapsed in an armchair. They followed her inside, and sat down on the couch in shamed silence. She placed her head in her hands. 

“Pierce.” 

“Ami, I-I can explain!!” 

“PIERCE.” 

“Sis, I-I know this looks bad, but I promise, it's not that…” 

His rebuttal was cut off by the door opening. There was only person he knew who just walked in without knocking! Sure enough, it was Mackerel. Usually, he'd be happy to see his friend, but he knew this just meant he'd get chewed out twice as hard….

“Sorry I'm late, it was a mad scene out there! I can't believe you cephalopods get so heated about….” He stopped as he saw the group in the living room. It only took him a glance at Lex to realize what had been going on. “PIERCE!!” 

“Oh Mackerel, glad you're here to see this great time we're having!!” Ami said sarcastically. 

“G-guys, please, I promise I can explain-!!” Pierce whimpered back, but it fell on deaf ears. 

“PIERCE, YOU WERE GOING BACK TO THE OCTO GULCH?!” Mackerel screeched. “YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN YOURSELF HURT, KILLED, OR WORSE!!” 

“Back?! What do you mean, BACK?!” It was Ami’s turn to scream. 

“Oh, the zapfish in our building got stolen, so Pierce INSISTED we go down there and get it back! And…” He squinted at Lex, realizing he looked somewhat familiar. “DON'T TELL ME- THOSE WERE HIS GLASSES?! YOU WENT BACK TO GIVE HIM BACK HIS GLASSES?!” 

“Yes! B-But Mackerel, they were prescription! And I… I couldn't keep them!! That'd be stealing!! Plus, you broke out the….” 

“SO YOU RAN OFF TO THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE FOR AN INKLING TO BE TO GIVE SOME GUY YOU KNEW NOTHING ABOUT WHO ALSO STOLE SOMETHING FROM US BACK A PAIR OF GLASSES?!” 

“I-I thought you said the Smokeyard was the most dangerous place for an inkling to be!” Pierce fidgeted in the seat. “B-but, yes, I did, but you're not listening! I wasn't in any danger! You broke out the-”

“Why did you two even go down there in the first place?! You should've called me!! Or a trained profreshional!! Pierce, you KNOW how hard it is for Mackerel to get around!! You could've gotten the both of you killed!” Ami scolded. 

“B-but, I didn't want anyone to get hurt, and I thought we could handle it peacefully… and I...I….” 

“They would've just respawned!! Pierce! I can't believe you went down there, and to go back…!! You're lucky to even be alive right now!!” She looked down at her wrist and began fiddling with a bracelet. A few tears dripped out of her eyes. “You really have no concept of self preservation, do you….” 

“S-sis, no, it's not like that…! I was being careful….I-I left beacons, and...and…. Lex wouldn't hurt me!! H-He's not a bad person!” 

“You say that about EVERYONE! Even the people who have hurt you!!” Mackerel retorted. “Pierce! I can't believe you would just, LIE to me like that!! Ami’s right!! I can't believe you right now!” 

“B-but, if I said where he was, you'd have gotten mad and not let me go back, and….” Pierce rubbed his eyes, and tightened his grip on Lex's hand. “I-I knew he was a good person under his rough exterior! And I was right!! He's wonderful!! And I know you two would think so too, if… If you just gave him a chance!!” 

It was clear neither of them were ready to stop any time soon. Pierce visibly flinched as they continued yelling about how stupid he was being. How he shouldn't give people as many chances as he did… And especially about how he shouldn't have brought this guy home. Lex stood up, clearly irritated.

“HEY! IT'S MY TURN.” He boomed loud enough that Ami and Mackerel stopped mid sentence. “Look! I know you're upset because you care about him. And I can imagine being lied to sucked. But you're not even listening to him, and you haven't let me say anything for myself!! I never wanted to hurt him, except maybe the first time he was there, when he was trying to take the zapfish. And like, if you're gonna be mad at someone, be mad at me! I'm the one who asked him to keep coming back.” 

“Lex…” 

“But, I want to add. It's not like I was in the army by choice. I was literally forced to join. I didn't get the luxury of being able to think for myself until Pierce came into my life. Like he's been TRYING to say, you broke out the mind control chip in my glasses. And I know you know that's what it was, Mackerel.” He turned to him. “From what I've heard, you're smart enough to have realized it. If you still want to be mad, that's fine. But direct it at me. I'm the one who kept bringing him back in. I'm the one who didn't let him leave last night. This isn't Pierce’s fault. It's mine! If I hadn't said anything, he only would've gone back to give me the glasses, and that would've been the end of it. Ok? Maybe you should try LISTENING for once.”

Silence fell over the group. Lex sat back down with a small huff. The air was so tense, it felt suffocating… Everyone sat there, avoiding eye contact. But it couldn't last forever. Soon enough, Ami had calmed down enough to say something. 

“Pierce… You really scared us. We just, worried you were hurt. And we know how easily you can trust people…” She spoke softly. “If something had happened to you, I don't know what I would've done… I….” 

“Sis…..I'm sorry...I..I didn't mean to make you worry, but…I...” 

“I know you're an adult, and can go where you want, and you don't have to tell us, but… I just….I know how impulsive you are, and… It scares me to think what could've happened down there. And I still don't know if...I trust this guy. But, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so mad...I was just worried.” 

“I know I don't. Not yet.” Mackerel frowned. “But at least you're not hurt...Thank the mothership. That's the most important thing. Sorry too.” 

“That's fair.” Lex shrugged his shoulders. “You don't have to right away. But I hope you'll at least give me a chance. Yknow, considering I'm dating your best friend, and all.” 

“YOU’RE DATING MY BROTHER?!” Ami and Mackerel screamed in unison. 

\----------

Soon enough, the tension in the room deflated a bit. Lex was able to properly introduce himself to the others, and they both (slightly begrudgingly) agreed to give him a chance. After about an hour of just talking about what had been going on the past month, they came to the conclusion he at least didn't want to hurt Pierce. That didn't mean they felt completely ok with him, but… It made them feel better. His heart seemed like it was in the right place, and he clearly made Pierce happy… Plus, Mackerel admittedly was excited to hear him play… 

The issue of where Lex was gonna stay soon came up. There really wasn't room at Pierce and Mackerel’s apartment, and they didn't know if their landlord would even let them bring in another roommate… It'd be until Monday before they could even ask. And it wasn't like he had any money, or anything valuable he could sell… The only things he had to his name were a few uniforms, like two pairs of pajamas, one normal outfit, his guitar, and that mysterious splattling that had been sent to the house. 

Ami wasn't too happy about it, but ultimately agreed he could crash in the guest room there until they worked something better out. With the notion that if he caused any sort of trouble, she wouldn't hesitate to boot him out. The next issue was the fact he only had one outfit that he could actually wear out in public…. Thankfully, Pierce had kept some of his plain stuff he didn't wear much there, since closet space was tight at his place. And they were about the same size…. Ami already could tell her brother was planning to make him a bunch of new stuff, but this would at least do in the meantime. 

Despite how exhausted they were, the duo decided they wanted to go back out to see the rest of the Splatfest. Thankfully, Pierce had an old pair of red jeans and a random Annaki shirt Lex could wear… They fit him perfectly, and he really seemed to like them. Considering he was always saying he was cold, Pierce could only imagine how nice it'd feel to finally wear long pants…. Since they were wearing red, they'd blend in better with the crowd, which would hopefully distract from the glasses and shoes he still needed…They hadn't gotten lucky on shoe size. He couldn't get licensed to play turf before the end, but they were still able to spectate on the matches. Pierce helped explain some of the rules to him, and it seemed like he was enjoying it. After rotation, though, he expressed an interest in watching the concert, so they went back to the Square and managed to snag another table. Another band had taken over for the girls. They both immediately recognized this group, it was Wet Floor. Pierce was looking up at the stage, sighing wistfully. 

“You really want that job, huh?” Lex smiled. “Being a host, I mean. I think you'd be a perfect fit for it.” 

“You think so?! I…I want to be a newshost so bad...I know that sounds like a silly dream, because only two people can ever have it….B-But I think we could have 3!! I..I think that'd be great!!” 

“Yeah, I think so too. Mix it up some, right?” He played with his partner’s hand a bit. “I don't know enough about Inkopolis yet to do a good job, but...I know you could teach me! We still got a few weeks before that show, yeah?” 

“Yeah...Yeah! We do! Maybe we can practice tomorrow when I get off, like we were!! Lex….I'm really happy you're here….” Pierce looked at his partner with loving eyes. “And that you, feel the same…” 

It was then that Lex leaned over and gave him a small peck on the check. They both flushed completely as the group at the next table Aww’d at them. But it wasn't enough to stop Pierce from returning the favor with another little kiss. He grinned from ear to ear. 

This was definitely the best Splatfest ever.


	13. New Pair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex's first day above ground continues.

Mackerel and Ami were left alone in her living room, not sure what to do. It was clear they had a lot to think about… As much as they wanted to ignore it and just watch TV, it was clear that wasn't an option. It was barely on five minutes before the sound felt like it would eat them alive. Ami tried muting it, but that only made the silence of the house more awkward. She sighed, and turned it off. 

They'd just have to talk it out. 

“You know, guess I really shouldn't be surprised. He literally did this Exact thing with you.” She grumbled. “But, no offense, that was worse since he was, a 10 year old baby. Well, it did turn out alright with you, I guess.”   
Mackerel glared back and her.   
“Oh, come on, I'm just teasing! Jeez...” 

Her gaze shifted down to her bracelet, which she aimlessly fiddled with. Her shoulders rose and seemed to lock in place. She was really tensing up... Mackerel came closer and put a hand on her shoulder. 

“Seriously, Ami, are you going to be ok? 

“I'll deal. Clearly Pierce likes him, and I don't wanna upset my brother. You?” 

“I already like him more than Jason, but that's a real low bar to meet.” Mackerel sighed as he let go of Ami's shoulder. 

Pierce’s last boyfriend…. Well. They REALLY didn't get along, to say the least. An Urchin, as prickly on the outside as the inside. He'd never understand why his friend would even like someone like him in the first place… Even if he was tall and admittedly attracted. Well, he started off ok, but as time went on, his true colors showed. It seemed like he got more rude by the day. It took a Pierce a long time to grasp that Jason was only going to get worse, and he couldn't change him. Mackerel could only hope he wasn't doing the same thing again… 

“Dunno how to completely feel yet. I'd need to talk to him under less stressful terms.” He shrugged, backing off a bit. 

“Yeah, same. Hope Lex's also better at guitar, for your sake.” 

“Woah. You just destroyed Jack*** Jason, Am.” He looked completely stunned, but also impressed. “...But I agree. And while I'm thinking about it, how on earth is Pierce dating ANOTHER guitar player with sharp teeth?! Like, seriously, what are the odds?!” 

“I don't know! You're the one who knows how to do math!” 

“And thank the Mothership I can, because Pierce has no idea how to budget anything. He'd be in debt without me! ” He let out a small laugh. “But seriously, I know Pierce said he was pale, but- dude’s like, freakishly pale! I guess he hasn't ever been in the sun, but still!” 

“Mackerel, he probably has a skin condition, don't be rude.” She spoke harsher than normal, and gave the other a look. “But, yeah. Is he gonna be ok out there in the sun, you think?”

“Oh, yeah. My bad.” He apologized, looking down. After a moment, he continued. “But, I'm not the one who can answer that. You know more about growable skin than I do!” 

“PLEASE don't put it like that.” 

“YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!” 

“ANYWAY, I don't know. Gil is pretty pale, but he does all right usually… Plus it's a Splatfest, so it's overcast. I'll have to talk to him when he gets back, I guess. I'd rather not interrupt their romantic moment.” She slumped back deeper in the chair. “Which I wish I was having right now.” 

“Oh, you mad your brother got another boyfriend before you?” Mackerel jeered with an exaggerated shrug. “Join the club, Am.” 

“If Sid wasn't such a dumbie he'd have asked me by now.” She muttered, frowning. 

“If he wasn't a such a dumbie, you wouldn't like him.” 

“Woah. Solid burn to me and Sid.” Ami groaned, giving him a slow clap. “We all can't have good taste, y’know.” 

“Yeah, yeah. And y’know, you could ask him out. Instead of waiting another, what, 10 years?” He stroked his chin mockingly. 

“Stop, stop, I already admitted to having bad taste!” She jokingly put her hands in front of her face, like she was shielding herself from Mackerel’s words. “Change the subject! Change the subject!” 

“Oh, yeah. Is Gil gonna be ok with having another roommate?” He asked in a serious tone, regaining composure. “You didn't ask him before agreeing.” 

“I don't think he's gonna care unless Lex is like, loud. Plus it's my house.” Ami relaxed back in the chair with a since of pride. “Y'know how Gil is.” 

“How I'm what?” 

Gil stepped inside the door nonchalantly. He was exceptionally lanky, easily towering over the two. His bored expression shifted to a slightly-less-bored smile when he saw who else was there. He gave Mackerel a small but earnest wave and sat down at the table. When he realized no one would answer his last question, he sighed and asked the more pressing one. 

“So…. Have you heard from Pierce?” 

Looks were exchanged between Mackerel and Ami. The two did their best to explain the events from earlier to him. He could easily tell they were both perturbed by the situation. Sure enough, he didn't really seem to care, although he was glad Pierce was ok. His eyebrows only raised slightly when he heard about the Gulch. Still, he heard them out, and only remarked once he could tell they were finished. 

“Pierce’s a good kid. I'm sure this guy is all right.”  
Was all he really had to say about it. 

“Gil, has anything ever concerned or bothered you, in your entire life?” Ami frowned slightly. 

“You know Sid annoys me all the time, Amz.” A small shrug followed. “I'll keep an eye on this kid if you want, though.” 

“Yeah...that’d make me feel better. Oh, yeah, how'd Turf go without me?” She perked up. 

“Not great. We're way worse without our leader, and the randos we got weren't helping. I'm back so early because Dan and Sid started arguing and he got upset. Y'know how they are.” 

Ami groaned, shoving her face in her hands. As much as she loved her friends, she knew Danny and Sid didn't tend to agree. It barely got in the way of their work, unless she wasn't there to keep them in check. She'd been friends with Sid and Gil forever, but Danny only joined a few years ago. They weren't as willing to put up with Sid’s pride as she and Gil were. Without Ami, Gil would have to be the leader, and he was way too passive to keep those two in line…. She could only imagine how badly those matches had gone down with everyone already on nerve. She knew Danny would be fine, but Sid….

“You can call him later, you've got more important stuff to worry about right now.” Mackerel reassured, and Gil nodded in agreement. “He’ll be fine. Do you need us to help you clean out the spare bedroom for Lex? I haven't been there in a while, but I'm guessing it's not ready for use.” 

“Oh, it's not super bad. Just need to move some boxes and maybe dust, but… Yeah, I'm running on fumes here. I'm sure you two are as well, but…” 

“We can help.” Gil stated matter-of-factly, before heading off towards the guest room. 

Between the three of them, the room was cleaned in no time. Lex’s few clothes easily fit in the dresser and closet, and they just left his guitar on the bed. It wasn't long after they finished that they heard the door open yet again. 

Sure enough, Pierce had tired out. Knowing how he was, he probably hadn't slept at all the night before… Lex seemed like he was doing better, but not by much. They barely made it in the door before Mackerel wheeled up to Pierce. 

“All right, well I am exhausted and you clearly are too, dude, so we need to go home.” He grunted. “You gotta get some sleep so you can go to work tomorrow. Do you think you can make it back now with me? Or should I meet you there later...”

“No, I can go….I know you hate traveling through Inkopolis by yourself on Splatfests….! But, Lex-” Pierce pulled the other into a hug. “I'll see you tomorrow after work!! If you need me before then, you can always call me!! I-I don't think you have a phone but my sister does a-and, and….” 

“I'm gonna be ok, don't worry. I'm used to waiting on you. Get some rest, ok?” 

“Ok, but….I'm...really happy you're here…” He whispered as he squeezed tighter. 

“Me too.” Lex smiled warmly, and squeezed back. “Thanks for coming back for me.” 

“Of course!!” With that, Pierce was finally ready to let go. He quickly spun around and grabbed the handles on Mackerel’s chair. “I'll come get you as soon as I get off work, ok?? Bye sis, bye Gil!” 

With that, the duo left, and the remaining three waved them off. As soon as they were out of sight, Ami closed the door. An awkward silence filled the room. Not wanting it to last, Lex turned to the other he didn't recognize. 

“Um, I'm guessing you're Gil? Pierce has told me, a little about you… I'm Lex, n-nice to meet you. Um, I guess we're roommates now?” 

“Hey.” 

He blinked. He was expecting to get yelled at, or at least a look of concern…. Pierce had said this guy was laid back, but still…! 

“Ok Lex do you like, need anything, or can I go sleep for the rest of my days.” Ami grumbled. 

“W-well, I wanted to get new glasses, but I can wait on that. I just figured, I shouldn't be running around in these, and, I'm pretty sure I need a new prescription anyways. But I don't exactly have, any money....And I know you inklings have to exchange money for things.” 

“Oh? I guess if you need em, I can get them. How long you've had those for?” 

“Like, a year after I was forced to join the army….6 or 7 years, I think? It took awhile before anyone noticed something was wrong with my vision. I tried saying something, but, y’know how it is.” 

“7 years- Lex, aren't you like, 20?!” She shrieked. 

“Yeah, why?” 

Ami looked at him, horrified. It was only then it clicked for him how messed up it was how young he was forced to fight from. A cold beat of sweat trickled down his neck. Even if he was in a better place now, this was still going to haunt him... Gil cut through the tense air.

“I can take him. And I can pay for them, I got splatfest money. Ami, you go ahead and sleep. I'll get us some dinner too.” 

“Gil, you're a LIFESAVER.” With that, she ran upstairs, clearly eager to lay down. He turned to the other. 

“Ok, you ready to go? Or you need to rest first?” 

“S-sure, I'm ok. But, um, are you sure it's all right? I don't have anything to offer you-”

“I don't need anything. Let's go, kid.” 

They silently left the house and headed back to the Square. Lex had no idea where they were going, so he followed closely behind. Even though he'd been in and out of the town a few times now, it was still so much to take in...Despite Pierce’s earnest effort to explain the layout, the hoards of people made it difficult to see or hear much of anything. He hoped it wasn't always like this…. Nevertheless, they ended up where they needed to be soon enough. 

The eye doctor was currently with someone, and then had one more patient with an appointment, so they'd have to wait. Gil sat down, and Lex quickly followed suite. He looked down at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact with the other inkling in the waiting room. Gil could tell he was uneasy. He couldn't blame him, this kids been in Inkopolis for what, a few hours? And on a Splatfest, too… This had to be overwhelming. Even though he wasn't really a fan of small talk, he figured it'd be best to say something. Anything to calm him down some. 

“So, you're dating Pierce now, yeah?” 

“Um, yeah….As of a few hours ago, but it feels like it's been longer.” 

“He's a good kid. A little out there, but has a good heart. The only response he got was a nod, so he continued. “You're lucky. But, it sounds like you really need someone like him in your life right now. I'm sure all this is a lot for you.” 

“Yeah….no kidding….I feel like I'm basically starting over from nothing, except for him….” Lex looked down nervously at his hands. “I feel like I don't know anything, but I knew too much to stay down there anymore.” 

“You'll learn soon enough, you seem like a smart kid. Inkopolis is a pretty cool place. There's lots to see and do, but I bet Pierce told you about most of it. You thought any about playing turf?” 

“Oh, yeah, Pierce showed me that, it looked fun! But, would they even let me play? Considering I'm….” 

“Tons of octolings play. I'm sure some of them had to be in the army at some point, seems like that's a common thing down there.” Gil put his hand on Lex's shoulder to reassure him. “No one would think anything of it if you registered. You use a splattling, right?” 

“I do- But, wow, you guys are a lot more uh, progressive than we were told…Maybe things are going to be ok up here….” 

“Things have changed a lot, it's like a whole new Inkopolis. Do you want to register for Turf tomorrow? It's too late to apply tonight.”   
Lex smiled, remembering he could make this decision for himself.

“You know what, I do.”

It wasn't long before he was called back for the test. Sure enough, his vision had gotten worse, and he needed a stronger prescription…. After Gil explained the situation to the doctor, they'd agreed to get him a new pair, as well as some contacts. But as they went to discard his old glasses, Lex snatched them back, clearly distressed. 

“You want to keep your old pair?” Gil asked, confused. 

“Yeah….. As much trouble as they were, they're also the reason I met Pierce..” Lex whispered, holding them close to his chest. “I-I don't feel like I should just throw them away...I feel like I'd regret it, so...Just in case.” 

“All right. You wanna pick out your new frames?” 

“I do!” His eyes lit up with excitement. He'd actually get to pick his own fashion, for the first time in his life…! He wouldn't be stuck with hand me downs or official uniforms! Gil let out a small chuckle. 

“You get really excited about making choices, huh. Tell you what, you can pick what we get for dinner too, ok? I'm not up to cooking.”

“Yeah!! O-oh, but I don't know any food places, but that one truck-”

“Oh, yeah. That probably wasn't on your mind. Sorry, kid.” Gil apologized, not wanting to overwhelm him. “I know most of the joints around here. You like anything in particular?” 

“Warm food!” 

“You mean, like spicy food?” Gil blinked, not understanding what the other meant. 

“If that's warm, sure!” Lex smiled. “I'm not really sure what ‘spy-c’ is in Octarian, but I'm sure it's good!” 

“Oh.” Of course, Inklish wasn't his first language… Even though he spoke it pretty well, there were bound to be words he didn't know… Gil just had to explain. “Stuff that's hot- like peppers, chili, wasabi-” 

“Oh!! I love wasabi!! I-it's a super rare delicacy in the Gulch, only the elite of the elite could get it!! Y-you...you mean we could that here? Even though I'm just, well, a nobody?” 

“Yeah. Tell you what, there's a place Ami and I really like that has a bunch of wasabi dishes. You wanna go there?” 

“I-if that's allowed! U-um, um, t-they always served it on, uh, uh, I think the Inklish word is rice? W-with greens, if we had them…” Lex looked down, clearly embarrassed. “I'm sorry, I don't remember the proper word in Inklish-” 

“Oh, like a vegetable dish?” Gil asked, and the other nodded. “Yeah, they have something like that. Do you want me to order that for you?” 

“Y-yeah! If you don't mind…” 

“Hey, kid, don't worry about not remembering right now, you've got a lot on your mind.” He reassured, giving Lex a playful hair tussle. “Why don't we head back to the house, I'll have it delivered so you can rest.” 

“O-of course! I...I am kinda tired….” 

With that, the duo headed back. Gil ran upstairs to wake up Ami, then placed their order. It wasn't much longer until it came. They all gathered at the table, and took a seat. Gil handed everyone their container, as well as the plastic silverware. Ami barely waited a second before digging in, while Lex just stared down at his dinner. 

He couldn't believe how big inkling rations were… This was about three times as big as the ones he was used to! And there was a ton of wasabi! Usually, they'd be lucky to get more than a smear… It was so hot, too! Not just warm, hot! They didn't have to risk putting it in the oven to get it above lukewarm, it was already perfect! He must've been staring at it for a while, because he was given a gentle nudge to try it. He touch an earnest scoop and placed it in his mouth. 

It was familiar, but different. Lex took another bite, trying to process his feelings. It was...better. Much, much better. He smiled as a few tears formed in his eyes. 

‘So, this was what Inkopolis was like, all along…’ he thought.


	14. Fresh Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex spends his first full day on the surface.

Lex woke up at 6 AM sharp. No need for an alarm or to see the light from a window, he’d been programmed to do this for years. Despite how tired he was, he pulled the covers off, and opened his eyes… to an unfamiliar room. He squinted, and rubbed his eyes, but nothing changed. Then he remembered. He'd ran away and come to Inkopolis with Pierce… It felt like a dream, but here he was, awake. 

He jumped out of bed and ran to the window, yanking open the curtains. Light beamed in. It was…..dawn and the sun was rising… The real sun, not the digital one he was used to! It was so beautiful, and so bright…. His head started hurting from the lights, but he hardly cared. He wanted to take it all in for just another minute, as he opened the window. A cool breeze soon filled the room. It felt incredible… With how much had been going on yesterday, he couldn't really appreciate the simple joys of being above ground. No wonder Octavio wanted to restart the Great Turf War, this was worth fighting for. 

As much as he wanted to stay in that moment, he couldn't deny how exhausted he still felt. And considering the house was silent, it was safe to assume everyone else was still asleep. Lex certainly wasn't one to refuse extra sleep , so he closed the curtains and nodded back off, smiling.

\-----  
“I CAN'T BELIEVE WE LOST!!” Ami screeched at the tv. The results from the Splatfest were left paused on it, revealing a 0-3 loss for Team Fries. She scrambled to grab the remote in order to skip the victory speech from the winner. That was the last thing she wanted to hear right now! 

“I told you, chips are more versatile.” Gil gave a half hearted shrug. “Seems like 63.5% of players agree.” 

“But fries are so much better!! Who on earth wants chips instead of fries if you have the choice!! THIS. BLOWS.” She pouted, pausing the TV again before they showed the current stages. “Fries won like every match I saw!! I mean, sure, I was blowing it a bit towards the end there but- MAN! We haven't lost a Fest since Callie vs Marie!” 

“YOU lost that one. I went Team Marie, remember? Like any reasonable person looking to win would've done.” 

“Says the guy who was CONVINCED Team ORDER was gonna win!!” 

“I have a Marina tattoo, Ami. Like, I don't know what you want from me.” He replied, giving her a playful jab. “And one of us has to be the civil one.”

“And my baby brother loves Callie and I couldn't not get him the shirt!!” Ami let out another loud groan as she flopped dramatically back down onto the couch. “I can't believe this….. My years of perfect performance…..ruined in a single night!” 

Her theatrics paused when she saw someone was standing in the doorway. Sure enough, there Lex was, gripping the door frame. He wasn't sure if he was allowed in or not, as he stood there still as stone. 

“Oh, hey kid, come in.” Gil said, completely chill as he gestured towards the couch. “Ami didn't wake you up, did she?” 

“No, no! I uh- I didn't want to interrupt- Um, I'm sorry if you all lost because of…” Lex stammered nervously as he stepped hesitantly into the room. 

“Nah, Lex, it's good! It's really hard to recover from a popularity loss like that. I'm just salty. And hungry.” Ami shrugged, sitting back up. “You probably want food too, huh. Well, thanks for not just raiding the kitchen.” 

“Oh yeah, food. We still gonna do our post Splatfest pizza party?” Gil asked. 

“You better BELIEVE we're doing it. I need some chill time.” She turned to face the other. “Hey Lex, you like pizza? You're free to come with if you wanna. Not really sure what else you'd do since Pierce is at work and you know us as well as you know Mackerel…. So unless you like, hate pizza I guess you'd wanna come.” 

“What's….a pee-zah?” He asked, his stare completely blank. 

“....You've never had pizza before?” 

“No- context wise, I'm guessing it's a food here on the surface?? That you……..party with??” 

“Get dressed. You're coming with.” 

And with that, Lex was practically dragged out of the house. He'd barely gotten his clothes on before the other two were rearing to go. 

The Square was certainly quieter than yesterday. A bunch of jellyfish (or at least that's what Ami said they were, Lex wasn't sure) were cleaning up the Splatfest decorations, and the hoard of squids were gone. It seemed empty by comparison, but Lex was fine with that. He didn't know where they were going, but Ami pointed out a red building with a sign that looked like it said “Splatastic Slices”. As they headed towards it and went inside, he thought about how just yesterday he had never seen a place like this before. Ami's turf war team had a sponsorship with this restaurant, so they could eat free after every Splatfest. 

“Well, Sid didn't answer me and Danny's got vague business, so I guess it's just the three of this.” Ami sighed as they sat down. “Maybe it's for the best, I'm sure you're already overwhelmed.” 

“A-A bit, yeah…Um. So uh, you're saying we pick something off this...list and they give it to us?” Lex asked, pointing towards the menu. 

“Yeah, that's the gist. You've never eaten out before?” Gil asked. “It's just like what we did last night, except you eat it here.” 

“N-no…We just got rations delivered… I...Um.” Lex squinted really hard at the menu, clearly struggling. He turned it around and pointed at one of the items. “I'm sorry, I don't know this says.” 

It was then clear that while Lex knew a lot of Inklish, the food vocabulary made up a major gap in his knowledge. He barely recognized any of the words on the menu, simply because they didn't have them underground. Ami and Gil were both a bit horrified by this realization, but did their best to help him out. Eventually, they settled on getting something on the plainer side, just in case. Who knows what kinda reaction he'd have if he'd barely had anything… 

The most generic cheese pizza soon arrived at their table. Lex looked at it like it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen… He took a single bite and burst into tears because it was so good. He ate his piece slowly, and then nervously looked at the remainder. 

“...You can have another, Lex. It's ok.” Ami reassured. “If you want more, we can get some.” 

“...O-oh.” He looked down, but grabbed another slice. “Y-you can do that?” 

“Please, eat.” For the first time, Gil looked a hint concerned. “It's ok.” 

It was then Lex realized how irrational this must've seemed for them. He immediately felt guilty for causing a scene. Breaking these old habits wasn't going to be easy, it seemed. The tension soon died back down as Ami started making small talk. They soon finished and headed back out. 

“Let's see, we gotta drop off your registry for Turf, right?” She asked. 

“Oh, yeah! Um, unless you had other plans-” 

“Nah. Sid and Danny aren't answering, and I don't wanna be grouped with two randos right now.” 

“Ran-doughs?” 

“Random players.” Gil corrected. “We better swing back and get your splatling so it can be registered.” 

“Are they gonna let him use it at level 1? Sheldon probably wouldn't sell it to him yet because of the recoil.” 

“I think there's an octarian exception. Yknow, since most of them are from the army.”

“Maybe, but what about gear?? I don't think any of Pierce’s gear has slots on it! Maybe his stuff from work, but again, level 1! Wouldn't that be cheating?” 

Lex blinked, not really understanding the conversation. Gil caught eye of how lost he looked and turned to him. 

“Oh...Ignore us. We just gotta ask the officers.” 

It turned out that Gil was right. Given Lex's prior experiences, the officers were able to auto level him so he'd be playing with players at roughly his skill level. He had to pass a training course, which he did with ease, and it awarded him a rank. This ended up being ‘Level 30’, which sounded pretty nice to him. It would at least let him use his Splatling and some of Pierce’s old gear. They had said it needed to be “scrubbed”, which he didn't understand.It seemed like it was washed recently.... Ami insisted it didn't have any abilities on it yet, which he also didn't understand, but the officers seemed happy with that. So maybe it was clean? He'd have to ask later. They'd also asked if his glasses were gear. When he said he didn't know, they replied ‘you can turn them into gear’. He blinked, but Ami said ‘Give him ink saver’, as she grabbed his glasses and handed them to the officers. 

After a moment they handed his glasses back to him. They didn't look any different on the outside. He flipped them around, and a little symbol was on the nose piece. Huh. They also handed him a player ID and a phone, mumbling something about ‘taking half of his earnings until he could pay these off, with interest”. But Lex was woefully ignorant of the practice of capitalism, and was just happy to have a phone. When Gil mentioned he didn't have any shoes for Turf, they also gave him a pair of plain canvas sneakers. They weren't exactly fashionable, but he was relieved he could FINALLY take off the heels. They were barely in his hands a second before he threw them on and sighed with pure joy. Finally, his ankles wouldn't hurt. He didn't have to wear any of his uniform anymore!! 

After all this, he was finally a registered Turf War player. He couldn't believe he was doing the thing he'd vilified inklings for only a few months prior. Gil started teaching Lex how his phone worked as the three left the office and started walking towards the shops. 

“Oh hang on boys, I got a text.” Ami waved for the others to stop. “Let's see… Ok, Pierce is heading to the house to pick up Lex, so we better head back ourselves.” 

Lex looked up at the sky. Sure enough, the sun was starting to set, just like the simulation in the Gulch did when Pierce headed over. ‘Huh, guess they really were time accurate’, he mumbled to himself. He felt a bit sad knowing the sky would soon go black, but they did have ‘stars’ here…. And the moon, too. The surface sure had a lot going for it.   
He smiled, knowing his favorite reason would soon be there, too. 

They'd barely gotten inside Ami’s place when they heard a knock on it. Ami opened it, and sure enough it was Pierce. It looked like he'd ran all the way there… 

“Hey sis!!” He greeted with a hug. “So, I heard about the Splat-” 

“Don’t, I'm still salty.” She teased before squeezing tight. “Work ok today?” 

“M-my boss was a….bit mad I missed yesterday, b-but I'm not in trouble!! I-” His attention was split when he caught the eye of another, “LEX!!”

Ami stepped back, as she knew Pierce was about to launch himself at his boyfriend. Thankfully for him, he at least thought to switch to squid form so he’d be easier to catch. Lex still stumbled backwards a bit, but he was able to keep his balance. 

“P-Pierce, I'm happy to see you too-!” He let out a small gasp from the adrenaline rush. 

“Sorry- I’m sorry, I'm just so happy to see you!!” Pierce’s eyes welled with happy tears. “A-are you ok? I'm not heavy, am I…?” 

“Nah, you don't weigh too much… But one of these times, I get to do this to you, ok?” 

“OK!!” He beamed, switching back. “How was your day today!!” 

“It was good, but it's better now that you're here.” 

“LEX!! YOU’RE SO CUTE!!” 

“You're the cute one, Mr. ‘Launch myself at my boyfriend because seeing him made me so happy’.” 

“I can't help it!! I'm so excited you're here!! And that we're all gonna get to play together!! We better head out for that-! Do you have your things?” 

“Don't worry, I already grabbed what I need, except...” He took Pierce’s hand with a smirk. “Ok, NOW I'm ready.” 

“Wow, smooth.” Ami smirked. “See you two later, have a good practice!”   
It was all Pierce could manage to wave back, his face was completely flushed. 

The duo walked through the Square. It seemed like officers were still cleaning up the Fest’s decorations. Pierce pointed out some more key locations, and Lex was happy he could actually see where they were this time. He was too distracted earlier to notice much of anything… After a short stroll, the two passed through security with no problem and headed towards the Alley. The large apartment building where Pierce lived wasn't too far from the entrance, and soon they were inside. 

“Ok, mines the fourth door on the right side!” 

“Woah, you live on the first floor? That's gotta be nice. I lived with an elite and still got lumped on the fifth.” 

“Well, we have to...Mackerel can't get up stairs and I was worried what'd happen if the elevator broke, and y’know, accessibility....” Pierce sighed as he fumbled to find his key. “It took us forever to find this one, and….” 

“Oh- I-I didn't-” Lex bit his lip, realizing this was probably a sensitive subject. “Sorry.” 

“N-no, it's ok! Anyway! Welcome to my home!!” He smiled as he pushed the door open. “It's, it's not as nice as my sisters place, but it's home!” 

“Hey, it's a nice place when you're not trashing it!” Mackerel jeered as he came over to greet the two. “You all made it here awful fast.” 

“We were excited to play!” 

“Yeah, I've heard a lot about your music, and I wanted to hear it.” Lex smiled, as he started glancing around the room. 

“Same to you, dude. For all the hassle you caused, you better be good!” Mackerel’s comment only seemed to raise the tension in the air. “Oh c'mon, it was a joke. Why don't we get started?” 

It seemed like Mackerel already started setting up. His drum set was just as cool as it looked in the photos Lex had seen... And of course he recognized Pierce’s microphone. A stand stood in front of each, and a chair had been pulled up for him to sit next to the amp. 

“We don't have a third music stand yet, you're gonna have to share with Pierce, that cool?” Mackerel asked as he set the sheets up. Despite asking, he’d already put the guitar sheet on the pierce’s stand. Seems like it was just a formality. Lex refrained from sighing. 

“Yeah, that's fine-” 

Before he could finish talking, the forbidden tune filled the air. Pierce jumped up, struggling to pull his phone out of his pocket. A quick glance down, and he sprinted towards the door, screaming, “AHHHHH!! ITS MY WORK!! I GOTTA TAKE THIS, SORRY!!” 

Awkward silence filled the air as soon as he left the room. Lex's hair squirmed nervously as he just stared at Mackerel. It soon became clear to him that he'd have to start the conversation. But what was he supposed to say?! He didn't know if he was still mad about the whole ordeal…. And his little ‘joke’ didn't make him feel any better about it… As he was left pondering, the other had started to turn away. 

It was now or never.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI!! I hope this note actually goes through correctly, I'm sorry I'm very unfamiliar with ao3! Anyway, I apologize for missing an update last week. I was out of town visiting my family, and I didn't have a chance to edit. To make up for this, I'll be posting twice next week! (I hope) . It'll either be next week or the week after! Chapter 16 is going to be Really Long, so I hope you're excited >:3c 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! 
> 
> -Bee <3


	15. Audition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex has his audition to be the guitarist of The Keelhaulers.

“Look, I just, I wanted to say thank you.” Lex stated loudly. When he was sure he'd at least grabbed Mackerel’s attention, he continued. “I-I can't be for certain you did it on purpose, but you're the one who broke the signal on my glasses. I'd never be here if you hadn't done that… I know for sure you didn't intend for this, but I….And I know this is going to be a lot for you, but-” 

Mackerel took his hands off the wheels, coming to a sudden stop. 

“You know, all last night, Pierce wouldn't stop talking about you. It was obvious he was dead tired, but he still was just so excited you were here. Must've been up until like 2 am. And I know if he didn't crash, he wouldn't have slept. Even though he had work today at 8 am. The last time he did that was when he won tickets to The Squid Sisters's concert…..” He sighed wistfully, letting his chin rest on his fist. “Man. I haven't seen him that happy in a long time. He must REALLY like you.” 

Lex took a hesitant step closer while Mackerel continued. 

“You don't have to worry about me, dude. I'm used to change. Things have never stayed the same for me. But… I know how hard it was for me, at first.” He turned slightly to face Lex, and smiled. “It took a lot for me to decide to move here. I know how much I needed Pierce for that, I'm sure it's the same for you.” He shrugged.  
“I can't exactly stay mad at you for doing the same thing I did. Sorry I was so wigged out yesterday. I wasn't expecting it, but life never goes according to plan, right?” 

“It had, for me, up until a month ago….” Lex looked down sadly. A firm hand grabbed his shoulder. 

“It won't anymore. Welcome to Inkopolis. More specifically, welcome to Inkopolis with Pierce. As long as you're like he says, you're gonna be just fine.” 

“SORRY ABOUT THAT!!“ As if on cue, Pierce busted back into the room. “They wanted to see if I wanted to make up yesterday on my next day off, but I said no! Oh-” He blinked, noticing the state of the others. “D-Did I interrupt something?” 

“Nah, you're good.” Mackerel waved. “You ready to get started?” 

“Y-yeah! What are we starting off with?” 

“I set out Bombs Away, but… Well, we better take it slow for the newbie.” Mackerel yawned as he stretched. “Probably hasn't practiced much. We should probably do a warm up, yeah? Lex, any song you've played a lot?” 

“Oh, no need.” Lex turned his copy of sheet music around with a flourish. “I've practiced this one.” 

“Oh! Cocky, I like it.” He clapped mockingly. “Well then Mister-Know-It-All, why don't you start us off?”

Lex gave Mackerel a smug look before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He plucked the first notes slowly, just to remind himself, and then began to play, for real. Of course he knew every cord by heart. He'd help rework them, after all. And playing with Pierce meant the world to him. Mackerel simply watched as he effortlessly played through the first chorus. 

“All right, all right, you've made your point!” He exclaimed, motioning for Lex to stop. “Maybe Pierce was right about you, after all.” 

“Thanks, Ma-” 

“BUT.” He held up his finger. “Playing by yourself is one thing. Any decent musician can. Now- Can you keep up with ME?” 

Without hesitation, he jumped into the second verse. Lex panicked for a moment, but began to play along. It only took one line for him to catch back up, but it felt like an age. He was used to keeping his own pace or following Pierce, he'd never even HEARD the drums to this before…..! They matched the rhythm of the song, of course they did, but it was much harder to focus on his chords...

His eyes began to shake as he started to worry. What would happen if he lost rhythm? What if that meant he wouldn't get the part…? No, he had to focus! 

“Chorus is almost up, c’mon Pierce!” Mackerel looked towards his friend, but continued playing effortlessly. 

“All right! Let's do this!!” Pierce jumped up. 

Lex felt more at ease hearing Pierce sing along. He was used to playing with him, after all. It made it much easier for him to keep tempo… Soon enough, the song was over. Mackerel looked over with a smile. 

“Well, you know the song, all right. Good job.” 

“Thanks, I told you I've practiced.” Lex smiled back. 

“Does that mean he got the job, Mackerel??” Pierce exclaimed, running over to his friend. “He's really good right??” 

“Sorry, dude, but this interview is a two song kinda affair.” Mackerel shrugged. “I concede he can play that song, but he's gotta prove one more thing to me.” 

“I-I didn't know this was an interview, but… All right… What's that?” 

“You'll see. Pierce said you reworked the guitar portion on Storming Colors, right? Why don't we play that. All together, this time.” 

“S-sure, I'm ready when you are..” Lex stuttered as he nervously gripped his guitar. What if he messed this up? He didn't think there was going to be any question about him joining… Maybe that was naive. It seemed like Pierce wasn't actually in charge of the band, after all. He swallowed hard.

“You're going to do great, Lex!” Pierce reassured with a smile. “I know you can do it!” 

“Take a deep breath, then we go.” Mackerel said blankly. 

Lex did as he was instructed. He inhaled sharply, regaining his composure, before exhaling. The first chord was all his, so he played that without an issue. Lucky for him, the drums only played for a second before Pierce’s first verse, so he managed to stay focused. That was all he had to do. Play that melody! 

Even as he felt his fingers tremble, he managed to play along. He took nervous glances to the other, but they failed to notice him. Completely lost in their own performances. Of course. They'd been playing together for years, hadn't they? He'd only been playing with Pierce for a few weeks… Another hard swallow. Lex had to prove he belonged here, too...! 

“AND AS THOSE COLORS POUR, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M HERE FOR!” 

His ears perked up. That verse didn't sound right. He could've sworn the notes were in a different order here! But, if he played that, wouldn't it sound wrong with the drums?! There was no way Mackerel would mess up after all that big talk, right? And those were definitely the words. No, HE had to be the one off rhythm, or something! As best he could, he followed the rhythm the other was playing, making sure he still kept tempo with Pierce’s singing. No one was looking at him, which he took as a good sign… But he could still feel sweat trickling down his back. 

As they all hit their final chord, Lex put a hand to his head. He definitely messed that up. Just like he did when he tried auditioning for Turquoise October…. His breath grew fast. Once again, he wasn't good enough….

“Lex- Lex, are you ok?!” Pierce immediately grabbed his hand. 

“I-I'm fine, I'm sorry, that was just….I….I messed up….!I-I was being cocky, and I-! I should've been looking at the sheet…I….” 

“No! You sounded great, Lex! Right, Mackerel? He played it right?” 

“He did the right thing.” Mackerel smiled as he wheeled over. “I played the wrong notes on purpose.” 

“Wh- Why would you do that?!” Pierce gasped. “Y-You stressed him out! That was...mean!” 

“I had to. Anyone can memorize a song with enough time. But knowing how to play on the fly takes real skill. You knew if you played the actual line it'd make me sound wrong, right?” Mackerel smirked, and Lex nodded. “So, you improvised so we'd all sound better. Great job. You passed my little test.” 

“I...I passed?” 

“Yeah, you're as good as Pierce said.” 

“SEE!! I TOLD YOU!!” Pierce exclaimed, as he eagerly pulled Lex into a hug. “I knew you could do it!! You're really skilled, Lex!!” After a moment, he turned to Mackerel with a serious expression.  
“Please don't put him on the spot like that ever again.” 

“J-Jeez dude, all right, I'm sorry.” Mackerel held his hands up defensively and turned to Lex. “I didn't know that'd stress him out so bad. Sorry, dude. You did great.”

“H-hey, it's-it's all right… Thank you.” Lex stuttered again as he tightened his grip on his partner. “Um. So, so I did it? Uh, what do I do now that I got the job…?” 

“You gotta get ready with us for the Battle of the Bands!!” Pierce smiled. “I gotta get your measurements so I can start on your outfit! We still have time, right?” 

“It's in less than two weeks.” 

His stare went wide as he slowly let go of Lex, turned around, and bolted into another room. 

“Your sketchbook should be in the top right drawer of your desk.” Mackerel reminded. “And your pencils are in the middle left!” 

“GOT THEM, THANKS!!” Pierce hollered back as he ran back into the living room. He dropped his supplies on the coffee table and frantically flipped through the pages. “I-I’ve had Lex in mind for a while, so I did do a few rough sketches!! Where are they…” 

“Oh yeah, isn't he like...already wearing the jacket you sketched for him? That's at least one thing of his covered.” 

“Yeah- AH! HERE IT IS!!” He beamed as he pointed towards the page. “And ours are- Right here!!” He removed two loose pages from the back and laid them next to the sketchbook. 

Of course Lex looked at Pierce’s first. He was really impressed with how good of an artist he was, on top of everything else…! The sketch was wearing a black vest with jagged “sleeves” and studded details. Under that was a light grey crop top, of course. It had some kind of squid thing on it. Apparently this was their logo, and it was a squid-bone. Didn't squids not have bones, though…? Regardless. To compensate for the sleeveless look, long fingerless gloves and some spiked bracelets adorned the arms, making the collar. The pants were very loud skinny jeans with a plaid pattern and some rips around the knee. To accompany that was a pair of bright yellow suspenders. The shoes were just as bold: chunky combat boots with laces, straps, and spikes, with a diamond on the heel. 

While every colored piece (save for the suspenders) was colored in various shades of purple, a note on the side revealed that all of those pieces were made of that same color-changing material. Pierce informed him that was also the case on any colored parts on his or Mackerel’s design, as well. Speaking of… 

Mackerel's design seemed less loud than Pierce’s. He was wearing a spiked collar, which squid-bone logo hanging off it. He also had bold colored gloves, but they were much shorter. For clothing, he had a leather jacket with orange trims, and a drip-pattern crop top under. Like Pierce, he also had suspenders, but these were orange, like the rest of the colors. His pants, still skinny jeans, were a simple solid brown. They had a massive rip on the right side, though. The shoes followed suit, with bright laces, but less spikes than Pierce’s, and a small ink splatter on the heel. 

Lex’s attention then shifted to the sketch of himself. Like Mackerel had implied, he was drawn wearing the same black and green diamond-pattern jacket he current had on. Partnered with that was a long light grey shirt with bold black markings. Pierce was quick to inform him it was a skull, whatever that was. The pants were tight jeans with stylish rips, like the others, although these featured a patch of the squid-bone logo on the right knee. The shoes were drawn as chunky combat boots with plenty of spikes, and a prominent spade was placed on the heel. Along with the base outfit were some accessories, like neon gloves, a belt, a spiked collar, and a note that said “earrings??? Does Lex want his ears pierced, or does he think that's too girly??” 

Also surrounding the sketch were a bunch of tiny hearts and some frantic writing that was halfway erased.. Lex couldn't help but giggle. 

“Hey, I'm glad you had the jacket in mind for this, it's really...special to me.” He smiled. “These designs all look so good, Pierce, how are you so talented?!” 

“T-Thank you! Ha, I knew you wouldn't want to wear a crop top, so I tried designing around that.. I figured dark colored skinny jeans would be easy to match with just about anything! And if we all had a prominent pattern, we'd match without, being too match-y!” Pierce exclaimed as he referenced the sketches. “I've already made the pants and tops for me and Mackerel, and I'm...almost... done with my vest!” 

“Yeah, guess you were too busy this weekend to finish it, huh.” Mackerel sighed. “And you just decided to give me a jacket, too. That's, what, 4 main pieces and 6 gloves you need to make? Including the fact you gotta make new patterns for Lex? And still find shoes for him?” 

“I-I'll manage! At least I have more done that I don't!” 

“I've never heard someone sound so determined and so defeated at the same time.” Lex grabbed his partner's shoulder. “Is there anyway I could help?” 

“I-If I could get your measurements tomorrow, and maybe have you help find shoes since you'll be around during the day, that'd be great…!” Pierce tried to stay excited, but he winced a bit. There was no way he could take a day off for this after he already called in ‘sick’ yesterday… “I-I'm really not up to doing all that right now…Work was really long today...” 

“Of course.” Lex reassured. “Sorry again about yesterday-” 

“Don't be!!! I'm so happy you're here…! And after such a short time, too!! It took Mackerel AGES to want to come here!!” 

“Oh, really? Yknow, you did tell me I couldn't hear that story until I met Mackerel, and, well…” He gestured towards the other with a smirk. “There he is!” 

“Ah, dude, you're really that interested in my backstory?” Mackerel asked, seeming a bit flattered. Lex nodded. 

“It's not every day you meet an inkling whose best friend is a salmonid!” 

“Ha, good point. Well, we SHOULD be practicing some more, but… I like this story. And it's not too late, so…” 

“I love this story!! Lex, you're gonna love it too!!” Pierce exclaimed, jumping up. “Let's go get comfortable because it's a long one!! Mackerel, are you comfy, or do you want me to help you onto the couch?” 

“I'm as comfortable as I ever am, dude.” Mackerel shrugged. “Well, Lex is gonna need some context for this, right? He doesn't know anything about how we met, right?” 

“Yeah! I haven't spoiled anything, don't worry!” Pierce winked. He sat down on the couch, and eagerly patted the spot next to him. Lex took the hint and joined him. After a moment of hesitation, Pierce put his arm around his partner’s shoulder, giving a small squeeze. “Ready whenever you are!” 

“Cool, cool. Well, we gotta address the Steelhead in the room first.” 

“What do you mean? Your dad isn't here!” 

“It's an expression.” Mackerel rubbed his temple. “Well, you know and I know that Mackerel wasn't my name back then, but. It'll just be so much easier to use it.” 

“Oh, you changed your name too..?” Lex asked, not thinking about how he'd said ‘too’. Thankfully, it seemed like Mackerel hadn't noticed. He simply nodded. 

“Yeah. Salmonese….Ain't exactly easy to pronounce. Especially to non-salmon. And the direct translation just sounds stupid…. So. Mackerel it is.” He stated with a bit of a sigh. “Lex. You don't know anything about Grizzco, do you?” 

“Gr-Gris-Co?” 

“I'm gonna take that as a No. Well, to keep it brief, it's a company that takes inklings to The Smokeyard, where salmons live, and has them steal our eggs. Risking life and limb for like, a free hat.” 

“That sounds….very illegal. And awful.” 

“It is very illegal. And awful. Well, anyway. They call it ‘Salmon Run’. It was the new hip thing for inklings to do for a while, until some kids got Real Hurt. Never mind how messed up it made everything in the Smokeyard..” Mackerel groaned. “So, yeah. Of course, since it was the hip thing, Ami wanted to do it as soon as she was old enough. Which was like, 14.” 

“Mhm, and at the time my mom was SUPER busy with work! So if Ami wanted to go anywhere… I had to go with!” Pierce nodded as he gave Lex another squeeze. 

“I think that's all the context you need! Well, I guess let's start from the beginning…. when my sister took me with her to the Grizzco lobby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! Very sorry this is a day late, it took me longer than I thought to finish this chapter @_@ Next one is also a doozy, so I hope you're excited! This is also the first chapter that no one proofread for me due to the timing, so if there was any typos or weird wording I apologize!! This is also a very dialogue heavy chapter since all 3 main characters are active, haha. I hope it was still enjoyable!   
> As always, thank you for reading!  
> -Bee <3


	16. Distant Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex finally learns how Pierce and Mackerel met.

It was a busy day in the Grizzco Office. Two groups of four had just gotten back; one from a successful mission, one from a total failure. They both were screaming about their missions, in vastly different tones. Three other squids were standing around impatiently, waiting for their final member to arrive. Their wait would soon be ending, as she stepped inside the building…. With her baby brother. 

Ami Sanitinez ran to the sign in sheet, apologizing profusely for being late. She tried explaining why, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Everyone was much too distracted by the child with her. She didn't want to have to bring him with, but their parents left her in charge…! Leaving him at home would be worse, right? She pulled him off to the side of the room, sitting him down. 

“All right, we talked about this bro bro. You have all your stuff?” She asked, as she leaned down towards her little brother. 

Pierce excitedly held up his sketchbook and colored pencils. She smiled back, and helped find him a spot in the crowded lobby to sit. 

“And you're not telling Mom and Dad that we went here, right? What did we do tonight?” 

“We stayed at home and watched a movie!” He winked. “Um, but why don't mom and dad want you coming here again…?” 

“Well, it's uh, it's…” She glanced around nervously. If she told Pierce it was dangerous, he'd probably make a scene. And everyone was already glaring at her for bringing a 10 year old with her… “Look, all my friends wanted to at least try it! And if I don't, Sid is gonna get on me about it, and I'm NOT about to get picked on by HIM!” 

“Oh no… I don't want you getting bullied big sis! B-But um, um….” He grabbed her hand tight. “Be careful, I-I don't want you getting hurt either!” 

“Don't worry, your big sis is gonna be just fine!” She rubbed his goopy little head. “You just sit here and wait, I'll only be gone 2 hours!” 

And with that, she headed back with the other three to put on the uniform. Pierce looked around the room. There were a bunch of monitors… Maybe he could watch his sister run on them? Or, whatever she'd be doing? He wasn't really sure what this “Salmon Run” thing was about. It didn't seem like turf war, and he couldn't see any officers in the lobby. Just the squids mourning their loss, who were now heading out. Plus, they had to run down an alley to even get here… It all gave him a bad feeling, to say the least. They wouldn't even let her use her Nzap! He looked at the board of available weapons. A blaster, sniper, splattershot, and slosher. She never used snipers or blasters…. Was she going to be ok..?

Well, wondering wasn't going to change anything now. She'd already gone back, and she'd been Very Clear that he had to stay put. But he noticed something shiny on the ground, and went to get a better look. It was her lucky bracelet. The one she'd never play Turf without wearing! If she didn't have it on, would her team win this run?? He couldn't say, but he knew Ami would be heartbroken! It'd only been a few minutes, she had to be changing still… If he ran back to the dressing rooms, he wouldn't be leaving the area, right? It was still in the building! He grabbed his things. 

“She'd said not to go outside, and it's not outside!” Piece reasoned to himself as he sprinted back. Strangely, there was a weird ledge he had to step onto before he saw the dressing room door… Or, what he thought was the dressing room, anyway. It also seemed way darker than the rest of the building. He couldn't see any windows….

“S-Sis??” He asked gently. How could he not have seen her yet? Or anyone else, for that matter? There were four of them! After what seemed like an eternity, he finally heard another voice. 

“Thank you for joining Grizzco today for another Salmon Run. Today, you will need to gather at least 25 Golden Eggs over the course of 90 minutes. Please note that there are different tasks for each 30 minute session. We will be arriving at The Smokeyard in 15 minutes, please use the dressing rooms on board to get in the uniform if you have not already.” An automated, pre-recorded voice chirped. 

“On board…?” Piece mumbled to himself. 

“The gates are now opening. Please, have a safe ride!”

The ground started shaking, and the walls opened. The light was blinding…. He blinked and squinted, trying to regain his bearings. All he could see in front of him was….water….. It was only then he realized he hadn't stepped up a weird step.   
He'd stepped onto a boat. 

But it was too late to get off, they'd already pulled into the water…. As the building grew farther and farther away, he let out a small whimper. He had to hide…! He sunk down behind some boxes, trying not to cry. 

Questions started filling his head. What had he just done…? How was he going to get out of this mess? Ami would kill him if she found out he didn't listen to her!! And even if she knew, would she be able to get him back? Where was she, anyway? Would he even ever see her again? Could he ever even get home? 

He didn't know! Nothing like this had ever happened before! And he struggled to think clearly at the best of times…! 

After several minutes of crying, Pierce realized his best bet was finding someone and just hope for the best. He stood up from his hiding hole and started walking around. The current was strong and he kept falling over. But, no one noticed his cries. They couldn't, because no one was on this boat with him. Inside the small cabin was just some screens and a weird looking radio. He couldn't figure out where the dials on it were, so it was useless to him! Where were Ami and the other squids he saw in the lobby? He tried to take a better look around. 

Something then became clear to him. There was another boat attached to this one, and on it he could see 4 figures. That had to be them! He ran up for a closer look, but was knocked down by another wave. That had to be where she was! If he screamed, she'd for sure hear him! He took a deep breath-   
And was promptly interrupted by another message. 

“Thank you for your patience! You've now arrived at The Smokeyard. Seems like it's currently mid-tide. A boss salmonid will be appearing soon. When it emerges, your lifesaver will buzz. To complete the current objective, you will need to collect 7 golden eggs. The boss will drop 3 upon defeat. Please put them in the basket. You will have 30 minutes to complete this task. Now, get out there, and bring me those eggs!” 

The four figures he saw Super-Jumped off the boat and onto the small island. Pierce clung to the ledge, unsure of what to do now. Maybe the basket was on the boat…? He didn't want to scream and risk his sisters performance…She was already going to yell at him! His boat seemed to be safely docked, and there was land to the right. So he wasn't likely to fall in the water as long as he stayed on that side, even if it did get bumpy again. With nothing else to do, he continued looking around. A small hut caught his attention, and he squinted at the window. 

It was then he realized he'd caught the eye of another. 

\---------  
“So, wait, you just got stuck on a boat?” Lex asked as Pierce paused to drink some water. 

“Yes, and I was terrified!! I didn't know what was going on, at all! I was scared to get off or fall in!” 

“Yeah, good thing, you totally would've drowned, dude.” Mackerel jeered. “Or gotten totally destroyed by one of my fam.” 

“The only family member of yours that's actually attacked me is Knife, and I don't think he was around then…” Pierce sighed, and took another sip.

“Yeah, he was still an egg back then. And surprisingly, he didn't have the knife yet.” 

Lex squinted at the duo, not following. 

“My baby brother Knife has stabbed Pierce on at least 3 occasions.” Mackerel stated like it was the most obvious thing. “Hence the name.” 

“W-what?!” 

“That's not really relevant to this story though, I'll explain later. Anyway, we to the part where we made eye contact now, right?” 

“I-I'm fine, Lex, i just have some scars on my ankle!” Pierce reassured as he shifted back into the chair. “But yes, you wanna take over?” 

\----------

Two boats floated near The Smokeyard, and the salmon knew all too well what this brought. Only a single look was needed to confirm their fear: it was from Grizzco. The bells signaling a battle rang through the air once again. The weak would hide, the strong would fight, and everyone prayed to the Mothership that they would win. Those wretched employees landed and began to cover their terrain in their ink. 

And Mackerel had no choice but to sit and watch. Partially because he was still deemed too young, but mainly because of his condition. 

It was all that corporations fault. 13 years ago, right before he was born, they were trying out dangerous and illegal weapons. They shot his mother. It was only thanks to the Mothership’s graces that they both survived. But, the damage was done. His mother was fine, but...  
He couldn't walk. He'd never be able to, and there was nothing anyone could about it. 

His older brothers could all fight back, but he'd never be allowed to. Even when he grew up. He could never get back at them. 

It wasn't all bad, though. He'd at least had the time to discover and develop other skills. Turns out, he was a decent repairman and had a good sense of rhythm. Even if he couldn't attack directly, he could at least help fix some of the damage done. Once the battle was over, he'd work on some of the machines that were broken. Everyone said that was more than enough. And yet, it felt like it wasn't. Mackerel worried he'd never be good enough in this society, and that he only slowed his whole family down. He had to do something, ANYTHING, to prove himself. 

Once the employees left the boat, they wouldn't get near it again until they were finished, so he was ‘hiding’ near the dock. There was a small hut set up in the corner, which was at least safer than being on the mainland… And, if he was lucky, sometimes they'd drop things on their way out. He'd managed to get his fins on a few broken weapons this way. Not that he could use them, but they at least made cool decorations. Maybe one day, he'd figure out how to fix them, or repurpose the pieces.

It was then that something caught his eye. What he could only assume was an inkling was still standing on the docked boat. He took a closer look. It was hard to tell, but it appeared they had noticed him. Their mouth opened. 

Something he couldn't understand (or really hear) came out. He squinted back. If they were just a LITTLE closer, he could….   
Mackerel's wish was granted, as the inkling fell onto the dock. 

“This is my chance!” He thought to himself as he wheeled over. 

\-----------------  
“Ouch ouch ouch……” Pierce whimpered as he rubbed his head. He was just trying to talk to the figure he saw. They didn't seem like they were able to hear him, or see the sign he'd made, so he leaned in closer. Apparently too close, as he'd fallen off. It really hurt…he landed head first onto the hardwood… At least he'd thought to grab his things first, and it seemed like they fell next to him. 

Thankfully, he could see that figure approaching. They appeared to be some kind of grey fish, with a bright pink nose, and an orange… Fin? Fish had fins, right? Not tentacles? It looked like they were wearing some kind of orange jumper.And they were in what he could only assume was a homemade wheelchair. Poor guy, he hoped they were going to get better soon… 

“Oh!! Hello! Um, um, I-I need to talk to my sister, um, um, do you know where she is…?” He asked, still rubbing his head.   
No response. 

“Oh...Oh! You don't know what she looks like! Um, she's about this tall…” He held his arm up over his head. “Um, her tentacles are about this long…..” 

He continued to make various gestures to help describe his sister as the other just watched. When he finished they finally said something. 

Something that Pierce couldn't understand. It barely sounded naturally…..A loud shriek, but their expression was so calm…. They had to just be speaking! He'd never heard someone sound like that and look so relaxed before…. He blinked from the shock. 

“You can't...understand me?” He asked. They only squinted in reply. “I...I can't understand you…” 

This wasn't good. He couldn't get help from someone who couldn't understand what he needed! And they didn't exactly seem like they wanted to help, anyway. Probably because they weren't feeling good… He felt bad for bothering them. 

“Well, I need to find my sister, so um, I-I…. I better go….” He apologized as he started to walk away. 

A tight pull on his arm stopped him.   
\---------

Upon closer look, Mackerel realized this inkling must be younger than him. They lacked the features of a ‘mature’ inkling, like the outer layer of skin. And with their frantic movements, and coloring tools, it was even more obvious. This was just a kid. He scowled. Winning a fight against someone younger than him wouldn't mean anything; especially since they were unarmed and clearly didn't see him as a threat. If anything, it just made him the bad guy… No one would commend him for that. 

What a waste.

Mackerel was about to leave, when he noticed the inkling was starting to head towards the battlefield. Without anything to defend themself. And they were so small, they'd surely get trampled by an unknowing salmonid. Or, worse… Just because he wasn't jaded enough to hurt a kid didn't mean everyone was…. 

“IDIOT!” He shrieked, grabbing their arm. He knew the inkling wouldn't understand him, but he couldn't just watch. “YOU CAN'T GO UP THERE!!” 

They let out a tiny gasp, and tried tugging their arm out from his grasp. He only tightened his grip. Even if they might one day become his enemy, he couldn't let them go. Right now, they were just a dumb kid! Why were they even here?! This was a matter for adults! They started whimpering. 

Mackerel knew he had to take them somewhere safe, somewhere far enough away, somewhere they'd wait at… He grumbled, realizing his little hut was probably the best spot. It wasn't far away, and it at least had a place they could sit down… With that in mind, he started dragging them there. It was a bit difficult, since he also had to move his wheels, but he managed. 

He pulled them forward and shoved them inside, closing the door behind him. They looked down and started crying. It was then he noticed they weren't holding the book and pencils they had. Was that why…? He didn't want to leave them crying, even if they were an inkling. It just felt…. Wrong. 

“Stay. Put.” He said, gesturing ‘stay’ to the best of his ability, and headed back out. It'd only take him a minute to get their things and get back…. Unless the kid started running, he should be fine. Thankfully, they didn't. They were in the exact same spot as he left them. Just sitting on the floor sobbing...

“Here.” Mackerel leaned down and handed the inkling their supplies with a smile. They immediately lit up, and stood back up. They pulled their arms up-   
And hugged him….? 

They were saying something excitedly, but what? He didn't know. ‘Thank you’ was his best guess… But they just kept holding on. Carp. What was he supposed to do now?! He patted their back. They smiled and let go, grabbing their things. They pointed at the chair and asked something. Mackerel nodded, and they sat down. 

Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as he thought….   
\--------

Pierce was really scared when this fish grabbed onto his arm and dragged him away… He didn't know what they wanted from him, or how to talk to them! But, they did go back and get his things for him… Maybe they were trying to protect him! The water did seem like it was moving a lot. He didn't know, but he felt safer with someone around. Taking a glance around the room he was in, he noticed the table. It had a chair, but the fish was already sitting. 

“Oh! Can I sit here, then?” He asked, and pointed at the chair. They nodded, and he smiled really wide as he sat down. They were finally understanding each other! He opened up his sketchbook to a fresh page, and started scribbling. It wasn't long until they came up and started looking intensely at the page. Pierce wasn't sure what they wanted… 

“D-Do you want one? Here!!” He smiled as he tore out the next blank sheet and held it towards the other. No response, so he shook it for emphasis. They then grabbed it, and set it down on the table. “Ok! Here, here, take a pencil! You can use any color you want! Um, you're wearing orange, so that must be your favorite, right?” 

He nudged the orange pencil closer, and they took it with an awkward smile. It seemed like they were writing something, but Pierce didn't understand any of the symbols… So he just kept doing his own drawing; one of his sister. Maybe with this, he could ask the fish for help! When he finished, he turned the sketchbook to them. 

“Um, um, have you seen her?” 

They clapped their fins together, clearly impressed. 

“O-oh, thank you! Um, but do you know where she is?” He asked, pointing towards the drawing and the window. They only squinted in return. No good, huh. “Well, that's ok! Um, um, I guess I'll just draw something else…” 

The alarm rang again, alerting there was an hour left. He shifted nervously in the chair. What was he going to do when this hour ended if he couldn't find his sister…? Well, he had an hour to think about it. For now, he'd just keep drawing… Since they couldn't exactly talk, they just sat in silence and worked on their own pages. 

The second alarm soon rang. 30 minutes left. Pierce looked towards the door nervously. They grabbed his arm again and shook their head. But...how was he going to get home…? His breathing started getting heavy as time ticked away. He had to find Ami, she'd know what to do! 

“I-I'm sorry, I'm having fun, but I-I have to go before I can't….!” He cried, scrambling to gather his things. Another grab on his arm. “I-I need my sister! P-please, l-let go…!” 

He tried to pull away again, but it was no use, they were much stronger than him…. Tears started pouring out. Was he going to be stuck here forever? Somehow, he had to explain…! 

“I-I have to go home!!” He screamed, though knowing it only fall on deaf ears. He pointed towards the door. “I-I need my sister, she knows how I can go home! Home! I gotta go home!!” 

He pointed at the window, towards the boat. Anything to signal he had to leave…! Finally, it seemed like something clicked, as they let go. Pierce immediately ran out the door, and was about to head up to the island when, once again, he felt a pull on his arm and heard another shriek.   
\----

“NO, NO, YOU ARE NOT GOING UP THERE!” Mackerel screamed, as he grabbed the inklings arm again. How many times was he going to have to do this?! 

He was just about to drag him back inside, when he realized something. The inklings always left not long after the third bell. Of course, he had to get back on the boat to go home….! But, then, why did he keep trying to run up to the mainland?! He didn't know, but he took them to the boat. 

They looked at Mackerel blankly. He groaned, realizing he'd have to play charades for them to get it. That didn't sound like a great plan… Instead, he grabbed their paper, and crudely scribbled a house on it. They nodded, and pointed to the drawing of the girl. He shook his head, and pointed at the boat. This went on for several minutes. 

Finally, their eyes lit up, and they tried to get back on board. But, the side was much too tall… They turned to him, tearing up. He grabbed them by the waist and held them up as high as he could, which was enough of a boost to pull themself up. The final alarm soon rang. He went to wave and leave, when he noticed they were leaning over the side holding something for him, eagerly shaking it. 

“Idiot, you're going to fall off again…” Mackerel mumbled, grabbing it. They started saying something while waving, probably ‘goodbye’, and soon the boat began to leave. He waved back, as he just watched it pull away… 

Once it was out of sight, he looked at the paper he was handed. It was a drawing of him, as well as a note he couldn't read… He sighed. 

This was the only good thing those boats ever brought.   
\--------

“Aaaand, that’s it for part one.” Mackerel stated as he rested his chin on his hand. “Thanks for helping me tell it, dude.”

“P-Part one? You’re not going to finish the whole story??” Lex asked, a bit disappointed. 

“Not today. We haven’t had dinner yet, and I’m getting hungry. Pierce, why don’t you walk Lex back while I start cooking?” 

“Of course!! You’re gonna have to stay for dinner sometime, Mackerel makes the best food…!!” Pierce exclaimed as he jumped up. He helped Lex pack up his guitar, and then eagerly took his hand. “We’ll finish the story tomorrow, right...?” 

“Maybe, if you can get your jacket done while we tell it. Y’know the contest is Next Weekend.” 

“Ok, Ok, I can do that!!! I’ll be right back!” 

Lex smiled as he squeezed Pierce’s hand, before giving Mackerel a small wave as they headed out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI!! I'm sorry I'm late, again @_@ this week has been a bit wild!! But, I hope you enjoy! I'm extremely sorry I couldn't post twice last week, and unfortunately chapter 17 isn't as far along as I expected: long story short, I've been Busier Than Expected. Unfortunately this will probably continue to be weekly uploads until I get caught up with this all this other stuff...
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!   
> -Bee <3


	17. Measure Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief pause back to the present.

Lex's third day above ground was much calmer than the prior two. Ami and Gil had to go back to ‘work’, which meant Turf War. And considering he was still unfamiliar with this place and their customs, they didn't want to just leave him alone. Pierce was busy at work, and Mackerel had other things to deal with. So once again, Lex was dragged along for the ride. He could've played too, sure… but he wanted to observe, just a bit more. And, selfishly, he wanted Pierce to be there to watch his first match… 

The Lobby was only a brief stroll from the house, and they were soon inside. Ami and Gil ran to grab their weapons, then to the train station below, making sure Lex was still behind them. It was like a labyrinth down there, but there were 4 main stations: Turf, ProTurf, Ranked, and League. They headed towards ProTurf, which seemed to be way less confusing than Ranked or League, to everyone's delight. After scanning their phones and getting their tickets (player for Ami and Gil, observer for Lex), they were let in and took a look around. Only two of the three trains seemed to be running right now. Gil paused to check his phone, then urged them onto the one heading to “The Reef”. Everyone boarding would scan the phone and set down their weapon before taking a seat, so they followed suit. Security here seemed pretty tight… 

“Ami!! Gil!! Wasssupppp!!” An unfamiliar squid screamed as they ran up to the trio. They had a bob cut, with one tentacle that was much longer and completely covered their left eye. That uneven look seemed to continue throughout their whole outfit, with a half-untucked shirt, and leggings that went to the ankle on one leg and the knee on the other. Lex jerked back in his seat, confused by this inkling. They raised an eyebrow and leaned in towards them. “OH, who's your pale friend?? You replacing me or Sid??” 

“Hey Dan. This is Lex.” Gil said, completely unphased by the ruckus. “Lex, this is Dan, our teammate.” 

“OH, another 3 letter-er?? Or are you just shortening it, like with me?? That some kinda rule with this team, or what??” They laughed. Taking a closer look at the octoling, they gasped and continued. “OH, WAIT. This is Pierce’s new boyfriend that he picked up from the...Y'know??” 

“Yeah. And he's only been here like 3 days, so if you could tone it down.” He stated firmly. 

“Pff, Okaaaay. Hey, Lex! I'm Danny. Dan for short, Dann with two n’s for medium. I'm the roller powerhouse of this team!” They greeted, as they held out a hand for Lex to shake. Which he did, hesitantly. 

“I-I'm Lex. Alexander for long, and uh, I guess Alexan for medium?? Uh, average guitar player and splatling user.” He replied, a bit confused. He'd never been told the medium length of a name before… Was that something inklings with nicknames did here? He had to guess not, because Ami and Gil both shot Danny a disapproving look. 

“So you ARE replacing Sid!! About time!” They teased, still giggling, and turned to Ami. “This guy seems nice! And sunglasses indoors, VERY cool.” 

“No, Lex is actually SERIOUS about playing.” She sighed. “But Danny, speaking of, have you heard from Sid at all? He hasn't answered me or Gil since the Fest.” 

“Nah, he never messages me. But, isn't Suzie doing some kind of model gig right now? Probs just helping her with that.” 

“Probably. When she got that Takoroka page, he left us for a week, remember?” Gil reminded. “Anything for his little sister. Just like you with Pierce.” 

“I'd at least have the decency to text back…” She grumbled back. “Well, we’re almost here, and Lex isn't playing, so we're gonna get a rando. Maybe we should talk about our game plan.” 

The three inklings nodded and began to discuss the best way to work as a unit without their final player. Lex sat back and went quiet, so he wouldn't bother them. They used a lot of weird terms he didn't understand… The train soon stopped, and everyone began filing out. Gil grabbed Lex's shoulder before he could get in line. 

“Lex, you know where to go if you're an observer, right?” 

“Yeah, to the left, and then I show the official looking person my ticket! Then I sit in the seat they tell me to and watch.” 

“Good, you got it. We’ll stay here until the maps rotate, and then we'll pick you up and move on. Just, stay there.” 

“Trust me, I'm really good at sitting where I'm told for hours. At least this time I'll have entertainment!” Lex laughed awkwardly as he stepped into the line. 

“Ok!! Bye for now Alexan, it was nice meeting yaaa!!” Danny waved as they headed off. Gil and Ami followed suit, and soon enough they were out of his vision. He went to the left and did as instructed. It was way less crowded and noisy than last time. Maybe he'd even get to hear what the announcers were saying! He listened intently as they explained the rules and introduced the teams that'd be playing in this area during the time slot. It seemed like everyone else was tuning them out, but Lex listened intently. It seemed like every team got about a half hour of playtime throughout the 2 hour rotation, with each match lasting only 3 minutes. 

When Ami's team wasn't on, his sights instead fell on anyone with a splatling or charger. Despite how much was going on, his attention never split from these players. The announcements and crowd cheering seemed to blur into white noise after a few matches. He was mesmerized. How these inklings could make fighting be this fun was beyond him. Maybe it was just because it wasn't…..life or death…..And forced upon them as soon as they could hold a weapon… 

An alarm blared throughout the arena, snapping Lex from his trance. The Reef would soon be opening the stores inside. It was time for the maps to rotate. He stood up and stretched while he waited for the others. His wait wouldn't be long, as they soon ran to get him. They rushed him back onto the train, and then stopped inside The Lobby to grab a bite to eat. He still didn't know what he was having; some kind of sandwich? It seemed kinda similar to the ‘seanwich’ he got with Pierce, just smaller. Still really good, though. He barely had time to finish it before getting pulled back onto another train, this time to “Arowana Mall”. 

The second phrase was near identical to the prior, as they said in the Gulch. He sat and patiently watched, occasionally taking notes or cheering at a particularly good play. The announcers did a pretty good job at keeping him informed of what was happening. This was pretty fun to watch, so he could only imagine how much more it would be to actually play. Though, he probably wouldn't want to do it all day, everyday… Maybe he'd work something else out to do while Pierce was at work. Like…. Whatever else inklings did for fun. This was a completely different world to him, who knows what else they got up to!

The next map rotation marked the start of sundown. Ami showed Lex which train went back to Inkopolis Square, and quickly boarded the one heading towards Moray Towers with a groan. Train travel was rather common in the Gulch, so he didn't need help boarding or figuring out where to get off. If anything, he was surprised that inklings had this kind of tech! A short ride later, and he was back in the Square. He barely stepped out of the lobby before he saw Pierce eagerly awaiting him. 

“Lex!! I don't know how you waited all day to see me, I've been here like 10 minutes and I couldn't stand it!!!” He exclaimed as he ran closer and took Lex's hands. “I'm so happy to see you!! I'm just, I'm just so happy you're here!! Did you have fun with Ami and Gil today??” 

“Trust me, I didn't have anything better to do down there. But, yeah, I did!” Lex smiled, and pulled the other into a hug. “I'm happy I'm here, too. Thank you for saving me.” He whispered as he squeezed tighter, before slowly pulling away and taking his hand again. “Well, I need to get my guitar, can you let me back into Ami's?” 

“Sure!” Pierce beamed back. “Oh, and will you grab your old uniform too? I uh, I'm gonna need it for something.” 

“All right. You ready?” 

He nodded. With that, they smiled and made their detour, before heading towards Inkopolis Alley. The breeze felt nice, so they walked slowly. It wasn't like they were in much of a rush. They could take a moment to just absorb their surroundings with each other. About 10 minutes later, they arrived at the apartment complex. Mackerel opened the door for them with a grim. 

“Welcome back. How's Inkopolis treating you?” 

“Oh...Pretty good, but like, anything’s better than the Gulch.” Lex smiled back “Hey, but, Pierce, you wanted me to bring my old uniform with me…?” He asked as he pulled it out from his backpack. “Can I ask why? I'm, not exactly in a hurry to put this back on.” 

“Oh! Because, I need to get your measurements, and, i-it'll be more… accurate if you're wearing something…. Less baggy?” Pierce was clearly getting flushed, but he continued. “Um. I-I promise, it'll only take me a few minutes…!!” 

“It's that or underwear, dude.” Mackerel chimed in. “You want me to hang out in here so you two can be...alone~?” 

His teasing tone only made them feel more awkward. Lex, particularly. He hung his head low to avoid eye contact as he walked towards the bathroom, muttering:   
“S-sure, uh, yeah. Ok. I'll go put it on…” 

“I-I'll meet you in my room…! It's the one with the Squid Sisters posters on the door…!” Pierce replied as he scrambled to collect his things. “Y-you stay here!! Please don't storm in on us-WAIT I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!!” 

Mackerel gave him a wink, which didn't make him feel any better. He grabbed his things and sprinted into his bedroom. Before he could even unroll his tape measure, Lex walked into the room, wearing the uniform as instructed. This was the first time he'd really seen him without a jacket on. He always looked thin, but it was emphasized now…. So were his muscles. And when he turned around, so was that scar he talked about, as well as… Pierce coughed, trying to avoid staring. Now wasn’t the time!

What his attention then gravitated towards was the massive ink-splatter shaped scar on his back. The tips of it still had a faint blue tinge, and the center looked like it was burnt… It must have been a direct, close range hit, that was never properly cared for. Now that he was this close, he could see the myriad of other small scars that covered Lex's body. Probably because there was very little protecting him… The reason he'd asked him to wear this is because it was so close to underwear. In fact, the only area that seemed covered was his chest, which only seemed to draw more attention to it. And hadn't Lex said all the octolings in the armor were DFAB….? 

Immediately, Pierce felt even more disgusted with this Octavio guy. 

“This is so awkward…..” Lex groaned as he covered his face. “I-I probably need to take the shoes and belt off, right.” 

“I-I know, I'm sorry…..B-But, y-yeah...” Pierce replied, still trying to calm himself. As he finished unfurling his tape measure, he continued. “Uh, Lex, I'm also gonna need you to take off the armor piece, I can't measure you through that!!” 

“But….then you're going to see... my…..my… my chest...” His eyes flickered back and forth nervously. “A-are you sure I have to….?” 

Pierce stopped in his tracks, realizing what he'd just asked.   
“Ah! No! You keep it on!!!” 

“N-no, let's just….get it over with… You already know what's there, I just…” Lex looked down towards the ground as his hands hovered over the buckle. “I… I just… wish it wasn't…” Barely louder than a whisper, and he bit nervously on his lip. 

“Lex, if you're uncomfortable, I'm sure I can work around it-! I..I don't want to upset you! I'm sorry, just let me get the other measurements, I'm sure I can figure it out! I-”   
Before he could finish, Lex has already unclicked the armor plate and held his arms out.

“Just….be fast, ok?”   
Pierce nodded, and quickly looped the measuring tape around his partner's chest. Usually, he'd stand in front, but he figured Lex would prefer if he did it from the back... He did his best to make as little contact as possible, while also getting an accurate measurement. Even though it was old, he also avoided putting any pressure on the scar. As he pulled away to make the note, Lex sighed with relief, and threw a hand over his eyes, his face completely flushed.  
“That was….so... awkward...” He muttered. 

“It, you're rather flat, if it helps… And I do this like, all the time at my work, so I don't-” 

“T-Thanks. Ok. I'm ok. I just- Yeah.” He stammered. “Can I put my jacket back on now?” 

“There's a few more I need, if that's ok...?” Pierce asked, handing him back the armor plate as a compromise. Nods were exchanged as the plate was put back on. 

He got back into position. If Lex was being honest, he was enjoying having him this close. If only it was under different circumstances! If only those were his arms around him and not that measuring tape…. Now wasn't the time!!! Just as he was thinking that, he felt the other pull away. 

“You're doing great!!” Pierce encouraged as he scribbled the numbers down. “Ok, neck, shoulders, and chest are done, so next I'm gonna get your waist measurement! Here, hold this end on your right side, ok?” He handed Lex one end of the tape, and he did as he was instructed.   
“I'm gonna wrap this around, and, I'll try to make this as….Non-Awkward as possible!”   
Once again, he had to stand very close to get a clear measurement. But he still tried to be fast, while efficient. The worst thing would be if he got it wrong and had to do this all again…   
“Ok, while I'm at it, I'm gonna go ahead and get your hips, is that ok?” 

“Y-yeah. I'm fine now that all the top stuff is done. ‘Cause, yknow.” Lex sighed, and slid the tape down. With a nervous laugh, he continued. “Dang. This isn't fair, you're getting a free chance to check me out.” 

“You want me to change so we're matching? If that'd make you more comfortable-” 

“AH- I m-mean, N-No, but…Yes...But no… But yes! But, no!” M-maybe another time...” He stammered, covering his face to try and hide how flushed he was. “Um. Though I hope…. You're liking what you see-”

“Oh, of course I am, I'm just trying to keep it profreshional!” Pierce smirked as he continued to work. “But, if you'd rather I didn't...Well, you have a REALLY nice butt~” 

“ARE YOU TWO DONE BEING GAY IN THERE?!” Mackerel screeched from the other room. “Y'KNOW WE HAVE THINGS TO DO THAT DON'T INVOLVE FLIRTING.” 

“ALMOST!!” Pierce screamed back, before turning to Lex again. “Ok, let me get your height stuff really fast, and then you can measure your thigh and we'll be done!!” 

Maybe it was his big hair, or the fact he usually wore heels, but Pierce had always thought Lex was taller than him. In reality, he was two inches shorter. To be fair, he was rather tall for an inkling, at 5’11. But with such a small difference… He could use his patterns! With a few modifications, of course. It would for sure be easier and faster than making brand new ones. 

As soon as Lex told him his inseam length, he gave him the ok to get changed again. Which he took immediately, and was gone before Pierce could even start grabbing his materials. He brought them into the living room and sat down on the couch, leaving room for his partner, who eagerly took the spot as soon as he finished changing. Mackerel came in closer, handing him a music sheet. 

“I know we promised story time, but we should at least get SOME practice in. Lex, you wanna play with me while Pierce works on the costumes?” 

Lex nodded, and got his guitar out of his case. Pierce let out an audible sigh. 

“I-I want it stated for the record that I stayed up and nearly finished mine last night! So I'm not that behind! A-and I'm off work tomorrow, so I can probably do more then too!!” 

“Oh, speaking of being off… Um, I wanted to do my first Turf War tomorrow, and…” He stammered. “Um, I wanted you two to come watch….” 

“Lex!! Of course we'll come!! ...We can come, right??” 

“Yeah, we can come see your first few rounds, but then we really gotta get back and work. Cause, the contest is still next weekend, dude, and Lex only has his jacket.” Mackerel turned his head. “We’re playing Storming Colors for the contest, so that's what we better focus on. You ready?” 

“Yeah, but… He's only behind because of me, right? I'm…” 

“No, he’s only MOTIVATED because of you, dude. Seriously, we were gonna have to drop if you didn't show up.” He reassured, patting Lex's shoulder. “Cmon, let's get started.” 

They exchanged nods and began playing. Pierce hummed along as he stitched the studs onto his vest. Since Lex had touched up most of the guitar portions in the songs, Mackerel was glad to finally hear them played. He had a general idea of the sound, but hearing it was definitely better. It had been so long since he'd played alongside another instrument, and even longer since he'd played with someone as skilled as Lex was. He couldn't believe this guy was rejected from a band, and that Pierce just happened to stumble onto him playing… But, that was just how it was with him, wasn't it? Just like…

“CARP!! We were gonna finish the story tonight!!” Mackerel shrieked, nearly dropping his drumsticks in the process. His eyes shot up to the clock. There was still about an hour left before it would get dark. “Pierce! How far along are you?!” 

“I'm almost done with the studs!! And then I just need to add a few more support stitches to the patch on the back!” 

“Ok, good enough! You can finish it when he goes home! Let your hand rest some, it's story time!” 

“All right, I was waiting for this!” Lex stated excitedly as he put his guitar back in the case.


	18. Fateful Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mackerel and Pierce continue their flashback

Two weeks had passed since Mackerel had that strange encounter with the inkling child. He told no one. How could he? Letting them go was the right thing, but he wasn't sure everyone would agree with that. And the last thing he needed was more reasons to be seen as a liability…. 

But, that didn't really matter to him right now. Today was special for another reason. After years and years of trying, his mother had finally been blessed with another child. No one thought she'd recover from...the incident. But, it seemed like The Mothership had other plans. One egg, just one… just like him. Except, this one was in perfect shape…unlike…   
Well, that didn't matter now either. He was in charge of watching the egg. His parents finally entrusted him with something important! He couldn't mess this up.

He was waiting in his little shack, just like always. The warning bells kept ringing, but he remained unphased. There wasn't much he had to do other than watch his sibling, so he aimlessly fiddled with some broken weapons to see if he couldn't fix them. Or just make them look nicer. As he was doing this, he heard something. Footsteps…? No, he brushed it off. But then, they got louder. 

Someone was coming this way. What were they doing over here?! This wasn't where the fight was at!! This makeshift chair didn't exactly let him move quickly, but he scrambled to turn off the light, grab the egg, and hide… He only had time to do the first before the door was kicked open. A silhouette of an inkling with broad shoulders and a huge splatling filled his vision. It was clear what the inkling was interested in…. They walked right up to his sibling and began to lower their hand. 

“No...NO!! YOU CAN’T TAKE THEM!!” Mackerel shrieked as he wheeled closer. His eyes grew wide and he screamed louder. “YOU CAN'T! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!!! LEAVE THEM ALONE!!” 

It only took one firm shove for him to lose everything. They'd hit him in the right spot to push him out of his chair, and he collapsed onto the ground. The chair slid far enough away from him, there was no way he could get up and chase after the thief… He thought he heard the sound of something breaking, but that was the least of his worries. His vision was blurred, but he could still make out that inkling grabbing his sibling and running out the door. 

“No….” He gasped, reaching towards the light, which too faded away before him. The sensation of pain filled his body, he couldn't see, but he still tried to drag himself to his chair. It was a useless effort, but he had to do something…! His whole body felt so weak, he couldn't pull his chair up… Well. Then he'd just have to pull himself along the ground! As he struggled out the door, he felt something warm on his arm. It must be that inkling’s foul ink, he reasoned.

The final alarm blared. His vision was so blurry… It hurt just to keep his eyes opened...But he looked towards the boat. Sure enough, the broad silhouette was there, holding something that glowed. Was that…? He pulled forward with all his might. Though blurred, he could tell they were holding something yellow and at least somewhat round. That could be his sibling-! But just then, the ship began to pull away. The chance to save them was gone.

He looked back down in shame, and finally noticed the gashes on his arm. It was then he realized that the warm substance wasn't ink or water. His breathing grew unsteady as the world began to spin… 

\--------

Mackerel woke up in bed the following evening , with a tight bandage wrapped around his arm. The pain was still immense, so he couldn't really move it, or the rest of his body, for that matter… 

No one spoke to him. They wouldn't even look at him. And, why would they? He failed. They lost their healthy miracle child. And it was all the fault of their ‘broken’ child. Who knew if his arm would heal. He might become even more useless than he already was. Even more of a liability. His family never called him any of those things, at least not to his face, but he could tell that's how they felt. Subtle glances to his chair. Their instantence on him never getting involved. The...unnatural way they worded praise. How unbelievably happy they were this egg turned out…..normal…… 

Normal: The word they never used to describe him, unless it was prefaced by a condescending, hypothetical, “almost”. The best he could hope for was “almost”. That...definitely wasn't true for his 3 older brothers. Or, the child he lost…. 

“I'm...sorry…” Mackerel sobbed. “I-I...I tried….” 

“Well, thank The Mothership we didn't lose you both.” “We know you tried.” “Go back to sleep.” 

Everyone seemed to speak at once, all without saying much of anything. 

“I...I….No one’s….no one’s ever come down there before, I just, I just didn't have enough time….But I….I really did try...” 

“You need to rest, or your arm won’t heal.” His father spat. Mackerel meekly nodded in reply as he closed his eyes again. 

He couldn't sleep. The constant whispers from his family felt like screaming, and even his own thoughts seemed to pound in his skull. Every time he heard his mother cry, his chest ached. He began aimlessly tapping with his good fin, forming a small rhythm in his head. But he made sure to do it quietly, so no one would notice. This nervous tick of his tended to drive his brothers up the wall… 

Maybe The Mothership would be kind, and bless their family with another child. That was their only chance, because… Going to Inkopolis was out of the question… right? Inklings couldn't be reasoned with. Or…..could they? Mackerel griped the mattress tight. 

He knew what he had to do. 

Soon enough, the rest of the family was off to bed. He waited about an hour, until he heard his dad's snoring, before he (after a lot of struggling) sat up. They'd been kind enough to leave his chair by his bed, so he swung himself onto it. Pain shot through his arm as he wheeled towards the door, and around to the back of the house. Carefully, he slipped into the garage, and flicked on the light. 

A somewhat-used Scrapper car rested behind the family's various equipment. It didn't belong to anyone here, but… With it, he could easily board one of the boats returning to Inkopolis. He could find that punk who took his sibling, and… Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe he could get them back! 

He didn't have the key, but he'd worked on enough of these to know how to start it up anyway. The electricity stung his fin, but at this point it barely matter. A boat would be arriving any minute now. The Goldies and Grillers would be handling this shift, so his family wouldn't be out. Mackerel swallowed hard as he headed towards the shore, tapping that aimless rhythm on the steering wheel. This was what he had to do to redeem himself. 

No one would miss him if he didn't come back, anyways. 

\-------------

“Sid, I can't believe you just blew it for us like that!” Ami grumbled as she threw her hat on the floor. “We had ONE EGG LEFT! And we're screaming THIS WAY, THIS WAY!!” 

“I believe it.” Gil sighed as he also removed his cap. 

“I HAD the last egg! I just couldn't get there on time, cut me some slack!!” Sid whined, clearly looking guilty as he fiddled with his pocket. “And that last salmon almost bit me! I was terrified, be nice!!” 

“NO! NO SLACK FOR YOU!! You gotta work on listening to us, instead of running off trying to be the hero!” She chastised. “I was one victory away from a raise! ONE! And you….”   
Her rant was brought to a halt by a bright glow. Gil also looked towards it. A yellow orb shone in Sid’s hand. It only took a moment for them to reason what it was...

“YOU KEPT THE EGG?!” They screeched in unison. 

“W-What was I supposed to do?! Run it back to the salmon who almost gave me rabies?! I don't think so!! Besides, Suzie will probably like it, right?” 

“SID!! DO YOU EVEN HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DANGEROUS THIS IS?!” 

“Ami’s right! What if it like, hatches?!” 

“I don't know!! We don't have to time argue this right now, we gotta go get our lil siblings, Ami!!” Sid replied, trying to shift the conversation. It...didn't work. Ami and Gil continued to scold him. 

“We should try this again tomorrow night...without him.” Gil whispered as they stepped back into the lobby. 

“Agreed.” Ami replied softly as she picked up Pierce. “Sorry bro-bro, we gotta come back here one more time, ok?” 

He nodded in reply, but his eyes fixated on the weird glowing toy Sid had. 

\----------  
Pierce waited (im)patiently in the Grizzco lobby for the 4th time that week. He was happy his sister was having so much fun, but… It was boring in the lobby! The monitors would constantly cut live feed and switch to ads, or just stop working in general. Sure, he had brought his sketchbook and colored pencils, so he had stuff to do, but he wished he was back home. Or at least, that Ami was here with him. Whenever the TVs cut out, it felt kinda creepy, and it was so late….

Just as he was getting tired of working on this drawing, he heard a crashing sound coming from outside. He jumped up. Someone could be hurt!! 

Pierce knew he wasn't supposed to leave the lobby, but… He'd only be one minute! It had sounded like it was coming from the docks right next door, so he went that way. All the while, he was making sure he had a tight grip on his bag and that his path back to the lobby was clear, just in case. 

Waiting there was one of those funny cars he saw on the TV, and inside… The same fish who had helped him get back when he got stuck on that island. His eyes immediately lit up in excitement. 

“OH MY GOSH!! IT’S YOU!!” Pierce exclaimed. “HI!!!!!!” As he leaned over the seat to give his fish friend a hug, he heard them yelp. Taking a glance down he could see why: there was a huge bandage wrapped all over their arm…  
“Oh, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!” He apologized as he jumped back. “I didn't mean- Um. Wait. Hey, why are you here???” 

They stared at him with bug eyes, clearly surprised. After a moment, they pointed ( with their good arm) repeatedly to the bag at his side. 

“Huh? My bag? OH!!!” His eyes lit up, and he pulled out his sketchbook and pencils. “You want this, right? The Orange one??” 

They nodded feverishly. Pierce smiled as he handed the book and pencil to his fishy friend. After drawing a crude circle, they began pointing at the pencil box again. It took him a second, but he got the memo, and opened it. 

“You want another pencil? Here!! Sorry, the purple one is kinda short, it's my favorite color!” Before he could finish, they'd already grabbed his yellow pencil, and colored in the circle. He squinted at the drawing, not sure what it was. “Oh! Is that the sun? Like….in the sky? Or the moon??” 

He pointed up at the sky. They shook their head no, making a puzzled expression. Pierce mimicked his friends face. Maybe they weren't done…? But, they weren't adding anything to it, or asking for another pencil… He squinted. What else could it be? And, what did it even mean? This would be so much easier if they understood each other!! 

\--------

Mackerel stared down at his drawing with immense frustration. This was getting him nowhere! He groaned and shoved the supplies back into the inkling’s arms. They looked really upset, but he didn't have time to worry about them right now!! His sibling was here somewhere, and he had to get them back! He groaned, and started the car back up. 

Pain shot through his arm again, and he let out a small cry. But, he tried to keep going regardless. The inkling chased behind him, calling out in concern. He ignored them, keeping eyes locked in front of him…. Until he saw exactly what he needed. 

A sign hanging in front of some dubious shack, that had a golden egg on it. This was it!! If this kid was around here a lot...maybe he'd seen who took it, and where they went! It was at least worth a try. He stopped the car, and pointed at it. 

“Hey!! Look at this!!” He said loudly, making sure he had the inklings attention. “Look!! Up here!!” 

They looked up at the same sign with a quizzical face, before glancing back at the drawing. They smiled really wide and nodded, and began to scribble something in their book. 

The broad shoulder inkling. 

Of course, he hadn't gotten a good look at the guy, and this was a drawing done by a child, but… It was the only lead he had. And he was that desperate. Mackerel began nodding back, to the small inkling’s delight. He pointed at the egg, and then to himself. They squinted in response, and said something he didn't understand. 

“That's mine, they stole it. Stole. Stole!” Even with several hand motions, they didn't seem to get it. 

In a last ditch effort, he pointed to the egg, then to the adult. He drew a small X. Then, he pointed to the egg, then himself, and drew a small check-mark. It seemed like that did the trick. They motioned for him to stay, and ran off. He couldn't help but worry about them….

But, this was their turf. They'd be safer out there than he would be, at least…   
\------- 

Pierce ran off to go find Sid. He couldn't believe he'd just take someone's toy like that!! That wasn't very nice! No wonder Ami was mad at him! Luckily for him, they had picked up Sid at his place last time, so he knew (roughly) how to get there from the shack. It wasn't a far walk, and soon enough he was at the front door. He knocked eagerly. 

“He- WHU, Pierce, what are you doing here by yourself?!” Sid screamed in concern. “Do you know how late it is?! Where's your sister?!” 

“U-um! S-She sent me to get that yellow ball you stole!! Stealing is mean, Sid!! So...So she wants to give it back to the good fish you took it from!!!!” 

“She's still fired up about that, huh…? Ok, give me a sec, I'll get it.” He groaned. After a minute, he returned and gently placed the ball into Pierce’s hands. “All right, here you go kiddo. Just be careful with it.” 

“Thanks, I gotta go right now bye!!!!” Pierce blurted out as he quickly left, wiping off the sweat as he ran. He wasn't sure why this ball was so important, but… It had to be their favorite or something! Why else would they come all the way here with a hurt arm to get it? In any case, he made sure to hurry back.   
“Hey!!! Here!! I got it!” He smiled when he returned to his friend. They immediately snatched it back, holding it close and tearing up. 

\---------  
Mackerel began crying openly. He'd gotten his sibling back. Well…. with some serious help… He still couldn't believe some random INKLING had been kinder to him than pretty much anyone in The Smokeyard. Someone who he couldn't even properly communicate with and that he knew nothing about, not even their name… 

It was then his relief was turned into sorrow that he would never see them again. He had no reason to, and there was no way they'd accidentally cross paths. Even if he had no way of knowing if they had anything in common, he still didn't want to lose the closest thing to a friend he had. But, he couldn't keep coming to Inkopolis… He was in extreme danger just being here, and he had no way to find them. 

The inkling must've been realizing the same thing, because they looked down at the pavement, tearing up. It was a lot easier leaving the first time… but the fact there was even a second time- Wait. There had to be some reason they had met again! And that they were able to find his sibling so easily... The Mothership must've ensured it- There was no way this happened by chance!! But, why? What did this mean? 

As he thought about it, he tapped on the car’s dashboard. At first, it was just random, but he soon started forming that same melody. It wasn't anything special, and it was quite repetitive, but the inkling perked back up, bobbing their head back and forth. After a moment, he heard something strange. 

They were...singing along? And they were syncing with his rhythm?   
Mackerel couldn't understand the words, but it sounded nice. Once they finished, he stopped tapping, and they clapped excitedly. He couldn't help but smile. 

They had something in common after all.   
\-----------

“Aaaand after that, I studied how to read Inklish, and just kept coming back to see this goof.” Mackerel teased. “Sometimes he came to see me, though. We always managed to find each other.” 

“Wow… You really got lucky there, huh?” Lex smiled. 

“Yeah, I really did. Gotta say, I was surprised that my prayers for a friend were answered by an Inkling of all species, but I honestly couldn't have found anyone better.” 

“AWWW, MACKEREL!! I LOVE YOU TOO!!!” Pierce exclaimed, eagerly hugging his friend. “YOU’RE THE BEST-EST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!” 

“I know, I'm pretty great myself.” He smirked as he hugged back. “Man. We sure did have A Time before I learned Inklish. You're lucky you're inherently so charming, dude.” 

“Aha, y-yeah, it was really hard to communicate for a while there…! W-we just had to   
write everything down or just point to words in the dictionary!” 

“Yknow, suddenly I'm really I opted to learn Inklish in school.” Lex laughed. “You two are gonna have to tell me more stories sometime. I-I know we have to focus on this concert for now, but-” 

“Of course, trust me, we've got enough! Speaking of, though, we should probably play the song all together and then get you back home dude. So SOMEONE can finish their vest.” 

“Uuuuuuuuuooooh, IIII dooooon’t waaaaannaaa…..” Pierce moaned jokingly. “Buuuut oooooook….” 

“Again, it's next weekend. Now, c'mon, let's get going!"

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading chapter 1 all the way to the end! This isn't my first time writing, but it's the first work I've shared, so I really hope you enjoyed! Chapter 2 is going to be posted here in a minute, but I'll post chapter 3 later this week! I've written roughly up to chapter 13, but they could use a bit more editing. I'm not sure how long this fic is going to be, or how often I'll be able to update, but I'll keep you posted! Thank you again for reading!   
> \- Bee <3


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